Importance Of Counseling Services Research Articles

Psychological Well-Being of Patients with Breast Cancer: A Descriptive Study

The mental impact of cancer on patients is often severe. Patients who have been recently diagnosed with breast cancer tend to experience depression, emotional stress, disappointment, and even despair which later can damage their psychological well-being. This study aims to describe Psychological Well-being among breast cancer patients.134 breast cancer patients were recruited at the Out Patient Department (OPD) of Tugurejo Hospital Semarang city, Indonesia. The data were collected using Ryff Scale Psychological Well-being (RSPWB) questionnaire. Most of the respondents were middle-aged, married, unemployed and had been diagnosed with early stadium of breast cancer. Results showed approximately half of the total respondents (n=64%, 47.8%) experiencing low levels of psychological well-being over the entire period of the sickness. Among four subscales of psychological well-being, “positive relationship with others” subscale was reported to be very low among those respondents. However, almost two thirds of respondents perceived a higher degree of self-acceptance and life purpose while experiencing the illness. Nurses and healthcare providers need to be aware of the importance of counseling service and family/patients support group to improve the relationship of patients with others.Keywords: psychological well-being, breast cancer

Psychological Well-Being of Patients with Breast Cancer: A Descriptive Study

The mental impact of cancer on patients is often severe. Patients who have been recently diagnosed with breast cancer tend to experience depression, emotional stress, disappointment, and even despair which later can damage their psychological well-being. This study aims to describe Psychological Well-being among breast cancer patients.134 breast cancer patients were recruited at the Out Patient Department (OPD) of Tugurejo Hospital Semarang city, Indonesia. The data were collected using Ryff Scale Psychological Well-being (RSPWB) questionnaire. Most of the respondents were middle-aged, married, unemployed and had been diagnosed with early stadium of breast cancer. Results showed approximately half of the total respondents (n=64%, 47.8%) experiencing low levels of psychological well-being over the entire period of the sickness. Among four subscales of psychological well-being, “positive relationship with others” subscale was reported to be very low among those respondents. However, almost two thirds of respondents perceived a higher degree of self-acceptance and life purpose while experiencing the illness. Nurses and healthcare providers need to be aware of the importance of counseling service and family/patients support group to improve the relationship of patients with others.Keywords: psychological well-being, breast cancer

Applying Cultura in the Community College Counseling Practice

Latino students represent the fastest-growing population in the state of California, the United States, and the California Community College (CCC) system. Unfortunately, compared to other ethnic groups, Latino community college students continue to lag academically. Given the importance of counseling services and the scarce research related to community college students and community college counseling services, this study explored how 26 first-generation, low-income, Latino community college students perceived, negotiated, and developed a relationship with their community college counselor. Using a qualitative grounded theory research design, participants’ counseling experiences were captured through face-to-face semistructured in-depth interviews, and a theoretical model was developed. This study extended the literature on the importance of community college counseling services in assisting and motivating students to reach transfer and graduation and emphasized students’ positive and negative counseling experiences. The research findings suggest a need to improve community college counseling services. Thus, based on the research findings and other published research, this study proposes a set of the following: (a) guidelines for applying cultura (culture) to community college counseling that can assist relationship building between students and counselors; (b) questions that can be included in students’ evaluation of counselors; (c) counselor interview questions that may elicit behavioral response and assess cultural competence; and (d) community college students’ preferred counselor characteristics that may be used by hiring committees.

The national policy on education and self-reliance: a histophilosophical perspetive

Education is the process of transforming the raw human resources to the expected quality and standard, to live and contribute effectively to the development of the society. This could simply be called education for self-reliance. The policy on education in any society ought to be laid on the above foundation; otherwise such society is bound to exist under the dictates of foreign human and material resources. The paper takes a histo-philosophical study of policies consciously or unconsciously made in Nigeria from pre-colonial era to the present time and tries to balance them with the reality at each given time. It observes that the National Policy on Education launched in 1997 and revised in 19981 and 1998 provide enough theoretical frameworks for actualizing self-reliance through education in Nigeria, but expresses doubts if such objectives are met, considering the rate of the nation's dependence on foreign human and material resources. As a way forward, the author strongly recommends the full implementation of the 6-3-3-4 system of education in Nigeria. He further stresses on the importance of counseling service at all levels of our school system. The Nigerian Journal of Guidance and Counselling Vol. 9(1) 2004: 54-70

Taiwanese University Students' Conceptions of Counseling

The purpose of this study was to describe and discuss Taiwanese university students' conceptions of counseling. A qualitative method was used to analyze 60 in-depth interviews from 30 male and 30 female students at a national university in central Taiwan. Results indicated that Taiwanese university students recognized the importance of counseling services to students and citizens, even though most of them were unfamiliar with counseling. Thematic patterns emerged from Taiwanese university students' conceptions of counseling, which suggested implications for clinical practice, education, and research. Namely, accessibility, familiarity, credibility, and effectiveness of counselors seemed to enhance students' willingness to seek counseling. Results also suggested that counseling services should implement a combination of educational, preventive, and therapeutic functions.

Counseling— A Friend to Placement

The policy declaring placement as top priority, accompanied by a responsive focus of staff and budget resources, has decreased the availability of counseling services to applicants contacting the employment service. Many people, if they are to be assisted in finding and keeping jobs, need the help given by professional employment service counselors. Management and program planners need an accountability rate of the importance of counseling services in the accomplishment of the placement priority. A study, covering two years of employment activities, was conducted in the Utah agency to gain insight into the question. The statistical material studied concerned available applicants, number placed, number counseled, and counseled applicants placed. The data indicated that counseled applicants have better than twice the chance of being placed on a job than uncounseled applicants. Thus, in Utah, counseling services have a positive influence in the job placement of an applicant.