School-based Counseling Services Research Articles

Study protocol for a pragmatic randomised multiple baseline trial evaluating Knowledge Insight Tools (KIT), a cognitive behavioural therapy-informed school-based counselling intervention for children and young people in UK secondary schools with low mood and anxiety.

There is a pressing need to offer more accessible, evidence-based psychological interventions to secondary school students who are increasingly reporting difficulties with anxiety and low mood. The aim of this pragmatic randomised multiple baseline trial is to evaluate the efficacy of a school-based counselling intervention called Knowledge Insight Tools (KIT) for reducing anxiety and low mood in UK secondary school students. KIT is a flexible intervention delivered individually and informed by cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). We will use a randomised multiple baseline design whereby young people will be randomly allocated to a baseline wait period of 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 weekly measurements, followed by receiving up to 10 weekly sessions of KIT delivered by trained, school-based practitioners. We aim to recruit 60 young people aged 11-18 who are primarily experiencing problems with low mood and/or anxiety from secondary schools across England and Scotland. We will assess child-reported anxiety, mood, and general psychological distress/coping with the Young Person's Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation (YP-CORE), recorded at each session during the baseline and intervention phases. We will also assess child-reported anxiety and low mood with the Revised Children's Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS) at the beginning and end of treatment; practitioner-reported treatment fidelity with the KIT Fidelity Checklist; and practitioner-reported feasibility with an end-of-treatment Implementation Survey. We will analyse within-person and between-person change in YP-CORE scores across the baseline and intervention phases using visual analysis and piecewise multilevel growth curve models. We will also analyse pre-post changes in YP-CORE scores using randomisation tests, and reliable and clinically significant change using the RCADS scores. The KIT trial is a pragmatic, randomised multiple baseline trial aimed at evaluating a school-based, individual CBTcounselling intervention for reducing anxiety and low mood in UK secondary school students. Results will directly inform the provision of KIT in school-based counselling services, as well as the growing evidence-base for school-based CBT interventions. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06188962. Retrospectively registered on 02/01/24.

Understanding school-based counselling services in complex systems: Developing a whole system approach

Understanding school-based counselling services in complex systems: Developing a whole system approach

Welcome to our world: Lessons that the mental health community can learn from sex education advocates.

School-based instruction and services can effectively support both reproductive and mental health for youth, complementing family and community efforts. Though favored by a large majority of families, school-based sex education can engender controversy, and recently, mental health advocates have begun to face similar challenges around topics such as social-emotional learning and school-based counseling services. This article provides an overview of the emerging trend of opposition to school-based mental health instruction and services, which shares many similarities with opposition to sexual health instruction. In light of these trends, cross-sectoral partnerships in support of health education become all the more crucial. Additionally, the mental health community can benefit from lessons learned by sex education advocates.

Depression, anxiety and stress among high school students: A cross-sectional study in an urban municipality of Kathmandu, Nepal.

Depression and anxiety are the most widely recognized mental issues affecting youths. It is extremely important to investigate the burden and associated risk factors of these common mental disorders to combat them. Therefore, this study was undertaken with the aim to estimate the prevalence and identify factors associated with depression, anxiety, and stress among high school students in an urban municipality of Kathmandu, Nepal. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 453 students of five randomly selected high schools in Tokha Municipality of Kathmandu. Previously validated Nepali version of depression, anxiety, and stress scale (DASS-21) was used to assess the level of symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress (DAS). Multivariable logistic regression was carried out to decide statistically significant variables of symptoms of DAS at p-value<0.05. The overall prevalence of DAS was found to be 56.5% (95% CI: 51.8%, 61.1%), 55.6% (95%CI: 50.9%, 60.2%) and 32.9% (95%CI: 28.6%, 37.4%) respectively. In the multivariable model, nuclear family type, students from science or humanities faculty, presence of perceived academic stress, and being electronically bullied were found to be significantly associated with depression. Female sex, having mother with no formal education, students from science or humanities faculty and presence of perceived academic stress were significantly associated with anxiety. Likewise, female sex, currently living without parents, and presence of perceived academic stress were significantly associated with stress. Prevention and control activities such as school-based counseling services focusing to reduce and manage academic stress and electronic bullying are recommended in considering the findings of this research.

Towards an Educational Psychology Service Framework for the Embedding of a School Counselling Service: A new approach in Argyll and Bute Psychological Service

Although the Scottish Government is currently providing direct funding to deliver school-based counselling services for young people (The Scottish Government, 2018), guidance on implementation by Local Authorities is not provided. Consequently, implementation varies across Scotland. The role of Educational Psychology Services (EPSs) in relation to wellbeing is now established and they are well placed to support the development of school counselling approaches. EPSs also possess expertise in implementing evaluative frameworks and in therapeutic work with children and young people. Acknowledging that therapy can be harmful, EPSs can support the development of safe and effective models of school counselling. Argyll and Bute Council is the second largest local authority in Scotland by area, with the largest number of populated islands. This unique context creates logistical challenges to providing equitable counselling services for young people, necessitating creativity and flexibility in service design and delivery. Out with remote communities, non-attendance and, in recent times, the global pandemic mean that equity of provision is not just an issue for vast rural settings. In this paper, it is proposed that the EPS can play an expert and strategic role in the implementation of an accountable and equitable school counselling service. Although the project is at an early stage, in this paper the Argyll and Bute Educational Psychology Service strategy is described. The focus is on the context of what is already known about school-based counselling, how it is being locally applied and the role of the EPS.

Guidance teachers’ and support staff's experience of working with pupils with mental health difficulties in two secondary schools: an IPA study

ABSTRACT An increase in mental health difficulties in children and adolescents has resulted in teachers being asked to act as frontline mental health professionals. Previous research investigated teacher involvement in the identification and management of pupils' mental health issues, but little is known about the lived experience of such teachers. This study uses Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to explore the experiences of school staff working with pupils with mental health difficulties. Findings indicate that guidance teachers and support staff are emotionally affected by such activities and believe more time, training, a whole-school approach and access to a school-based counselling service are required to provide the optimum mental health service for pupils with mental health difficulties. Implications for practice are discussed.

Counselling for young people and young adults in the voluntary and community sector: An overview of the demographic profile of clients and outcomes.

ObjectivesTo determine the demographic profile of clients accessing voluntary and community sector (VCS) counselling services for young people and young adults, and to undertake the first systematic evaluation of outcomes.DesignNaturalistic, non‐experimental study design.MethodsA total of 2,144 clients were recruited from nine services in England. Data on gender, age, ethnicity, number of sessions, problem descriptions, and initial levels of psychological distress were collected from clients. Calculations of reliable and clinically significant change, repeated measures t‐tests, effect size estimates, and moderation analyses were undertaken to determine whether pre–post change, over an average of 5.1 (SD = 5.3) sessions, was significant and which variables predicted outcomes. Levels of service satisfaction were also recorded.ResultsThe demographic profile of clients accessing VCS services was distinct to those accessing statutory and school‐based counselling services, with a greater representation of females, ‘older’ clients, and clients from Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) groups. Clients accessing VCS counselling services presented with multiple and complex needs. Statistically significant reductions in psychological distress were observed with effect sizes ranging from .64 to .80. High levels of service satisfaction were expressed by clients.ConclusionsThis study establishes that clinical outcomes in the VCS are comparable to those reported in school‐based and statutory mental health services in the United Kingdom. VCS services were perceived as being highly accessible and appear able to reach marginalized groups who may not be accessing other services.Practitioner points VCS services in the United Kingdom may be more accessible to young people from marginalized groups, such as those from BME backgrounds, compared to statutory and school‐based counselling services.Counselling in VCS services is associated with significant short‐term reductions in psychological distress, at a level comparable with the statutory and educational sectors.Clients accessing counselling in VCS services report relatively high levels of service satisfaction.

School-Based Counselling Service Use: A Year in the Life of a School Counselling Department

There is limited research detailing school-based counselling services and how they are utilised by students. This study presented counselling service data for a Preparatory to Grade 12 school. Specifically, it examined the number of students seen and sessions provided, and differences between users and non-users of the service. The results showed that approximately 20% of students engaged in counselling. Frequency data indicated that many students had brief contact with counselling and that there is no clear relationship for when this occurs during the term or year. There were also significant differences between users and non-users within key demographics. Implications for use of this information in school as well as recommendations for effective use of counselling service data are presented.

Turkish School Counselors and Counselor Educators’ Perceptions about Multicultural Counseling

This paper examines the topic of multicultural counseling in Turkey, where school-based multicultural counseling services remain comparatively limited in scope and application. Participants consisted of twenty-three counselors working in secondary or high schools and fourteen counselor educators from several state universities. While the participants expressed mostly positive attitudes towards multicultural counseling, school counselors tended to regard it only as a client-focused, acculturation process. Not unexpectedly, counselor educators approached the process mainly in terms of how to effectively apply it toward various minority groups in Turkey.

“Because you have Talked about your Feelings, you Don't Have to Think about them in School”: Experiences of School-Based Counselling for Primary School Pupils in Northern Ireland

ABSTRACTWell-being is increasingly being recognised as an important aspect of children's lives. Barnardo's Northern Ireland “Time 4 Me” school-based counselling service was established in 2007 with the purpose of providing individual counselling for primary school children and wrap-around support for parents/carers and school staff. The focus of the service is to improve the emotional well-being of pupils by helping them cope better with life problems in order to increase their learning capacity. The Time 4 Me service employs an “outcome-informed” approach and routinely administers a range of outcome tools to all service participants—pupils, parents/carers and school staff—to capture change over time and overall impact. The service employs a range of measures to track impact, including the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, the Child Outcome Rating Scale and the Child Session Rating Scale. In addition, the service has created a bespoke qualitative “experience of intervention” survey to capture the views of children using the service. This article presents qualitative data collected from this survey from all pupils who used the Time 4 Me service in the academic year 2013/14. This was a total of 120 primary school pupils from 20 schools. Results indicated children accessed school-based counselling for relational problems and behaviour and emotional issues. Differences in the reasons children use counselling have been found in terms of gender and age group. Key findings presented in this article focus on what children reported they liked about counselling, what methods and strategies they found helpful, and the changes they reported in their lives.

Young clients' narratives of the purpose and outcome of counselling

This study explores how adolescent clients construct the purpose and outcome of counselling. A narrative analysis was performed on interviews with 22 clients (aged 16–18) who had used a school-based counselling service. The aim was to identify the purpose and outcomes that participants attributed to their counselling experience. The analysis identified four narrative forms that young clients used to describe counselling. These included ‘transformative’, ‘supportive’, ‘pragmatic’ and ‘disappointed’ narratives. Each narrative form constructed a different purpose and outcome for counselling. Engaging with clients' narratives about the purpose and intended outcome of counselling may allow counsellors to better match their expectations and approach to fit with their young client or to work with them to co-construct more flexible narratives that support helpful outcomes.

School-Based Counselling and Psychological Services in Macao

This article presents an overview of the current status of school-based counselling and psychological services for school-going children and their families in Macao. Adopting an eco-systemic model, some recent articles on school-based counselling and psychological services in Southeast Asian countries are reviewed, and similar data from individuals currently providing such services in Macao are examined. Findings show that there is a great need for psychological services, particularly with regard to consultation and intervention for children, youths, and their families, in Macao's fast-changing society. The needs are discussed within a systems framework, and recommendations for the development of the field and the need for additional school-based child and family interventions in the region are discussed.

THE PROVISION OF COUNSELING SERVICES AMONG SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS: AN EXPLORATION OF TRAINING, CURRENT PRACTICES, AND PERCEPTIONS

Although school psychologists have been called on in recent literature to assume a leadership role in a collective and comprehensive effort to address students’ mental health needs, many practitioners find that their professional roles continue to be narrowly focused on special education-related activities, such as individualized assessment and eligibility determination. Meanwhile, students’ mental health needs have never been greater. The current study focused specifically on school psychologists’ provision of school-based counseling, an activity that has been shown to be effective in addressing students’ mental health needs, as well as a professional role that many practitioners have expressed a desire to expand. A national sample of school psychologists responded to an Internet survey related to various aspects of counseling service delivery, including their training to provide services, current practices, and perceptions of the importance for school psychologists to assume the responsibility of providing school-based counseling services.

A holistic approach to school-based counselling and guidance services in Malaysia

Counselling services in Malaysian schools were first established in 1963. Several local research studies investigated the provision of school counselling services and revealed that they were unpopular among students and could be further improved. School-aged children are still under the care of their family, mostly their parents, and many authors suggested that the school counselling services for these children are inseparable from their family and community. A qualitative research study was conducted with 12 secondary school counsellors from Perak state in Malaysia. The counsellors were interviewed to explore their experiences of working in the existing counselling services system. The findings showed that there was a lack of collaboration among various educational stakeholders and the resources from the community were not utilized effectively. As a result of this study, a comprehensive integrative model for school counselling is proposed and discussed. Some possible challenges faced by counsellors and suggestions on ways to further improve counselling services within the Malaysian context are discussed.

Teacher and counsellor perceptions of a school-based counselling service in South Wales

ABSTRACT This small-scale study, based in a semi-rural South Wales Local Authority, sought to explore how both school-based counsellors and link-teachers perceive their school-based counselling services. The research aimed to answer three research questions: 1) what are the perceived impacts of the service? 2) what are the perceived attributes of the service? and 3) what are the perceived barriers to and facilitators for an effective service? The research utilised a mixed-methods approach including the use of questionnaires, a focus group and interviews. Analysis consisted of descriptive statistical interpretation of the quantitative data and content analysis of qualitative data. Main findings concur with the literature, with the most frequently perceived impact to be on pupils’ mental health and emotional well-being. In conclusion, the current research contributes to the growing support for school-based counselling services. Further findings and implications are discussed.

Journal Digest

Journal Digest

Motivation as a predictor of outcomes in school‐based humanistic counselling

AbstractBackground: Recent years have seen a growth in the provision of counselling within UK secondary schools, and research indicates that it is associated with significant reductions in psychological distress. However, little is known about the moderators and mediators of positive therapeutic benefit. In the field of adult mental health, motivation has been found to be one of the strongest predictors of therapeutic outcomes, and it was hypothesised that this may also be a predictor of outcomes for young people in school‐based counselling services. Aims: To assess the relationship between young people's motivation for counselling and its effectiveness within a secondary school setting. Sample: Eighty‐one young people (12–17 years old) who attended school‐based humanistic counselling services in Scotland. Method: Clients completed a measure of motivation for counselling at the commencement of their therapeutic work and a measure of psychological wellbeing at the commencement and termination of counselling. Results: Motivation for counselling was not found to be significantly related to outcomes. Discussion: The results indicate that the association between motivation and outcomes may be weaker in young people as compared with adults. However, a number of design factors may also account for the non‐significant findings: insufficient participants, marginal reliability of the motivation measure and social desirability effects.

An evaluation of a school counselling service with direct links to Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMH) services

ABSTRACT An evaluation of a Scottish secondary school-based counselling service for students aged 11 to 18 is presented. Improvement in student emotional well-being was measured using the Young Persons Clinical Outcomes for Routine Evaluation (YP CORE) questionnaire and participant questionnaires which were developed for the study. Significant improvements were found, following counselling, for functioning, problems and well-being, with all three showing a large effect size. The counselling service was rated as helpful by the majority of the participating students, referrers and guidance staff. These findings are analysed with reference to the unique structure of this school counselling service with its governance framework integrated into the local Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMH) service.

Associations between witnessing parental violence and experiencing symptoms of depression among college students

To examine the association between witnessing parental violence in childhood and experience of depressive symptoms during the academic year among college students in Awassa, Ethiopia. A total of 2,708 undergraduate students (1,330 female and 1,378 male) completed a self-administered questionnaire that collected information concerning witnessing parental violence as a child, symptoms of depression during the current academic year. Logistic regression procedures were used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Approximately 22.7% female students and 27.1% of the male students reported witnessing parental violence. Females who witnessed parental violence were twice as likely to report moderate depression (OR=2.04:95% CI 1.32-3.15), or 3-times as likely to report moderately severe depression (OR=3.02:95% CI: 1.67-5.47) as compared with those who did not witness parental violence. The corresponding ORs were 1.71 (95% CI:1.13-2.59) and 2.42 (95% CI:1.41-4.13) for male students. Female students who witnessed parental violence were 2.4-times (OR=2.37, 95% CI: 1.26-4.44) more likely to report feeling bad about themselves 2.6 times (OR=2.62: 95% CI: 1.66-4.14) more likely to have trouble in concentrating compared with those who did not witness parental violence. Male students who witnessed parental violence were almost twice as likely to report having suicidal thoughts compared with their counterparts who did not witness parental violence (OR=1.97, 95% CI:1.16-3.34). Intervention programs focused on domestic violence must also address the needs of young adults from affected households. School-based counseling services may be one modality for addressing the needs of youths exposed to violence.

Changes in maltreated children’s emotional–behavioral problems following typically provided mental health services.

Child welfare agencies serve as gate keepers for children's mental health services (MHS). Yet, the impact of offered services on behavioral outcomes has not been well studied. Data from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW) were examined to measure caregivers' reported change in children's emotional-behavioral problems. Over 600 children in three age groups were matched and problem levels compared across 3 years. Although behavioral problems for the total group improved across time, scores for children who received MHS slightly worsened. Children who received MHS scored 1.4-3.7 points worse than children who did not receive MHS. Additionally, young Black, Hispanic, and other racially identified children had more problems than young White children, regardless of service. Higher behavior problem scores were noted for school-age children and adolescents. Although child welfare appears to rely on a cluster of MHS, including school-based counseling and private practitioner services, future service delivery should expand from improving access to achieving outcomes.