Perfectionism has been linked to psychological distress among students, yet less is known about the developmental strengths that may shape this relation, particularly in collectivistic school contexts. This study explored the moderating role of the 5Cs of Academic Positive Youth Development (APYD) - competence, confidence, connection, character, and compassion - on the association between academic perfectionism and psychological distress. Data were obtained from 725 Filipino secondary school students (M age = 17.20; SD age = 0.95; 56% males). Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted, controlling for students' gender, age, socio-economic status, and grade point averages. Results showed that perfectionism and character were positively associated with distress, while confidence and connection were negatively related to distress. Interaction analyses revealed character and connection as significant moderators above and beyond the influence of covariates. Simple slopes analyses show that whereas character weakened the relation between perfectionism and distress, connection strengthened the association between perfectionism and distress. These findings highlight the complex roles of developmental strengths in shaping the psychological consequences of perfectionism and underscore the value of cultivating adaptive character traits to support student well-being, particularly in low- and middle-income collectivistic settings like the Philippines.
This study examined how peer victimization functions as a mediating mechanism and how perceived family support operates as a moderating condition in the association between teacher - student relationship quality and psychological difficulties in early adolescence. Drawing on a sample of Italian middle school students (N = 694; M age = 12.28 years, SD = 0.95), participants completed validated measures assessing teacher - student closeness and conflict, peer victimization, family support, and psychological symptoms. A moderated mediation model indicated that peer victimization explained part of the association between both teacher - student closeness and conflict and students' psychological difficulties (emotional symptoms, conduct problems, and hyperactivity). Furthermore, family support altered the strength of these indirect associations, buffering the negative impact of conflictual teacher - student relationships on psychological distress. These findings highlight the importance of integrated, multi-systemic interventions addressing teacher, peer, and family dynamics to promote adolescent psychological adjustment within school settings.
Prior research has shown that children's satisfaction with school is connected to their well-being and achievement, yet children's own explanations remain understudied. This mixed-methods study examined overall school satisfaction among Italian children, identified factors shaping positive and negative school experiences across gender and school levels, and amplified students' voices by directly capturing their perspectives. Drawing on bioecological and developmental frameworks, the research assessed levels of school satisfaction, identified specific aspects that children appreciate and dislike, and investigated variations by gender and school level. A total of 584 primary and lower secondary school students responded to a set of vignette-based open-ended questions and completed a satisfaction thermometer scale. Quantitative analyses revealed positive perceptions of school, with female students and children in primary school reporting higher satisfaction. Qualitative content analyses of children's narratives indicated that friendship, learning opportunities, enjoyable activities, and recess were significant sources of satisfaction, whereas school aversion, long hours, and peer conflicts were primary sources of dissatisfaction. These findings highlight the importance of relational and emotional factors in school satisfaction and underscore the role of inclusive, participatory educational practices. Practical implications for improving school climates, integrating social-emotional learning, and adopting age-appropriate, child-centered educational approaches are discussed.
The growing number of School-Based Health Centers (SBHCs), along with expanding SBHC interventions and increasing evidence of their effectiveness, presents an unprecedented opportunity to examine their broader impacts on the overall school environment. Recognizing the pivotal interplay between health and education, it is important to explore whether SBHC interventions have the potential to affect broader school climate. In this paper, we examined the spillover effects of an SBHC adolescent relationship abuse (ARA) intervention on school climate. We used secondary data to assess the spillover effects of a cluster randomized controlled trial of SBHC-based ARA intervention in California high schools. Data from the staff-reported California School Climate Survey (CSCS) was analyzed to compare intervention and control groups before and after the intervention; we also did differences-in-differences analyses. The CSCS staff sample was 216 pre-intervention and 187 post-intervention. The SBHC ARA intervention had some benefits for staff-reported school climate, including improved perceived school safety and case-by-case approach to school discipline. We encourage further research and rigorous evaluations with larger samples of the potential spillover effects of SBHC interventions on school climate and related student outcomes.
This study examines the social effects of participatory music projects (PMPs), specifically the Musiquem project, in two primary schools in the Valencian Community, Spain, with 162 students. School 1 is in a middle-class context with low cultural diversity, whereas School 2 is in a socially vulnerable context with high diversity. A mixed-methods approach integrated quantitative and qualitative data. The quantitative component used a quasi-experimental design without a control group and with pretest and posttest measurements. Six student focus groups, three per school, explored attitudes toward diversity, social climate, and group cohesion. Quantitative analyses included descriptive and inferential statistics, and qualitative data were examined through content analysis. Significant differences were found between schools for group cohesion, t(132) = 2.16, p < .05, and attitudes toward diversity, t(134) = 2.79, p < .01, but not for social climate, t(117) = 1.09, p = .29. Effect sizes were moderate for group cohesion (Hedges' g = 0.33) and attitudes toward diversity (Hedges' g = 0.45) and negligible for social climate (Hedges' g = 0.03). In School 2, posttest scores showed a significant correlation between group cohesion and attitudes toward diversity. highlighting the positive impact of PMPs in vulnerable educational contexts.
Peer bullying among school children is pervasive worldwide. It has costly consequences for the physical health, psychological functioning, social life, academic performance, and school adjustment of both the victims and perpetrators of bullying. There exists mounting evidence of the negative impact of bullying. However, the majority of those studies are from developed countries, particularly the Global North. Students' experiences in countries of the Global South, such as Bangladesh, often go missing from the global literature. In this regard, the present study aims to understand how students' bullying experiences affect their well-being at school through a qualitative exploration. This paper is based on data from a qualitative participatory study with 40 secondary school students (boys = 18; girls = 22) in Grades 7-10 (ages 13-16 years), recruited through snowball sampling from both urban and rural areas of Bangladesh. Semi-structured one-on-one and focus group interviews were conducted online with students to gain an in-depth understanding of the effects of peer bullying on their well-being at school. Grounded theory approaches were used to analyze the data. The study found three key interrelated effects of peer bullying on student well-being: Feeling scared, feeling sad, and feeling excluded. The findings have implications for school-based interventions to improve students' well-being experiences and reduce bullying at schools in Bangladesh.
Adolescents are considered at higher risk of psychosocial disturbances, requiring timely interventions to prevent further exacerbation. The study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a low-intensity positive psychology intervention on psychological well-being and severity of depressive symptoms among adolescents in Jordan. A quasi-experimental, interrupted time series design was used. A total of 69 adolescents were recruited across experimental and control groups. At baseline, adolescents in the control group had a higher overall mean score of depression (75.9, SD = 9.3) than those in the experimental group (70.2, SD = 7.1), and a significant mean difference (t = 2.8, p = .005). Adolescents in the experimental group reported higher psychological well-being at baseline, 61.2 (SD = 13.9), compared to the control group, 58.1 (SD = 16.6); however, this difference was not statistically significant (t = -0.8, p = .401). Over time, a significant reduction in depressive symptoms was observed (F = 8.3, p < .001), with a significant group-by-time interaction effect (F = 2.9, p = .049). Additionally, significant differences in well-being scores were found between baseline and Time I and Time III (t = -2.3, p = .028; t = -1.5, p = .011). The study highlights the importance of integrating Positive Psychology interventions into school mental health care.
The role of attachment in student achievement is garnering increased attention, yet the link between attachment and the quality of student learning remains underexplored. This study aims to categorize university students based on attachment styles, epistemic trust (ET), and learning approaches. We examined differences between identified profiles concerning two mental health constructs: General Health Questionnaire and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The sample included 225 university students from social science and education departments. Approaches to learning, Attachment, ET, PTSD and General Health were assessed. Cluster analysis revealed three distinct profiles: deep-organized secure, high-dissonant organized anxious, and low-dissonant unorganized avoidant. These profiles align with the attachment-ET theory and reflect varied learning strategies among university students that correspond to learning profiles dominating the educational literature revealing links between learning and psychological capacity. The high-dissonant organized anxious group reported the highest GHQ and PTSD scores compared to the deep-organized secure and low-dissonant unorganized avoidant groups.
This study examines the joint, specific, and unique contributions of prior knowledge, executive functions (working memory, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility), fluid intelligence, and academic motivation (expectancy and subjective task value) in predicting overall mathematics performance among secondary school students. Ninety-six second-year students from Argentina participated (52.5% female; M age = 13.12). Regression analysis indicated that, except for inhibition and subjective value, these variables accounted for 66% of the variance in math performance. Prior knowledge and fluid intelligence emerged as the strongest unique predictors. These results emphasize the importance of cognitive factors over affective ones in predicting mathematics performance at the secondary level. They further suggest that assessing these abilities can help identify students at risk of mathematical difficulties, enabling educators to anticipate learning constraints and implement targeted interventions. Future research might investigate whether interventions addressing these cognitive factors can enhance mathematics learning at this stage of schooling.
Research points to the importance of school-based universal screening focused on psychological health and well-being dimensions to reach a baseline that allows for the allocation of pupils on adequate interventions and supports, and monitors their response to intervention. When screening for mental health problems, it is recommended to screen for internalizing and externalizing behaviors. This study conducted an adaptation and validation of the Youth Internalizing and Externalizing Problems Screener (YIEPS) in the Portuguese context, following three main steps: translation, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Data was collected in 10 schools, with a final sample of 942 adolescents randomly split into two subsamples. Initially, EFA was conducted on one subsample and then CFA was conducted on the other. Results support a bifactor model with two specific factors (internalizing and conduct problems) and a general mental health problems factor, eliminating items pertaining to attention problems and hyperactivity-impulsivity. This adapted measurement model showed good internal consistency, reliability, concurrent and divergent validity with other measures of mental health problems, and psychosocial functioning. The YIEPS-Portuguese can be used in Portuguese schools to screen for psychological health difficulties, in addition to other measures to screen for the complete mental health of pupils.
Given academic burnout's harm to adolescents' well-being, exploring its links to effort-reward imbalance has practical value. This study investigates the relationships between effort-reward imbalance and academic burnout among middle school students, with particular attention to the mediating roles of sensory processing sensitivity and emotional regulation self-efficacy. A total of 1781 students (51.09% girls; mean age = 13.12 +/- 1.01 years) from the western city in China participated in the study. Using validated instruments and structural equation modeling, the results indicated that effort-reward imbalance significantly predicts academic burnout. Furthermore, sensory processing sensitivity and emotional regulation self-efficacy each partially mediate this relationship, and together they form a sequential mediation pathway. Overall, both factors play a critical role in the link between effort-reward imbalance and academic burnout. These findings clarify mediating mechanisms underlying this link. Future longitudinal studies could further clarify the temporal associations and underlying mechanisms among variables, and develop targeted interventions to alleviate academic burnout.
The number of international students of color in U.S. school psychology graduate programs is not well documented, despite their growing presence in higher education. Due to their intersecting identities, these students may have distinct experiences and perceptions of multicultural training and program environments compared to their peers. This mixed-methods study, using the Multicultural Environment Inventory-Revised and semi-structured interviews, explored these students' views. Of the 28 survey participants, 10 also participated in interviews. Key integrated themes included: 1) diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) Integration in Curriculum and Supervision, 2) Climate, Comfort, and Diversity, and 3) Faculty DEI Research. Participants suggested improvements in DEI promotion, integrated resources, and social support. Implications for practice and future research directions are discussed.
This study found that school bullying victimization was associated with increased risk for negative mental health outcomes among adolescents. Bullying has many forms, including physical, verbal, social, cyber, property-related, and sexual; however, little prior research has examined impacts of exposure to various bullying types among Chinese adolescents. This study explored associations between six types of bullying and mental health outcomes (i.e. depression and anxiety) through a cross-sectional survey of 397 adolescents enrolled in 8th grade in a middle school in Beijing, China. Youth reported on their bullying victimization experiences and mental health. Findings showed significant main effects of verbal, social, property-related, and sexual bullying on symptoms of depression and anxiety, whereas physical and cyberbullying predicted only depressive symptoms. Social bullying had the strongest association among all types with depression and anxiety. In addition, female adolescents who experienced physical and sexual bullying were more likely to report depressive symptoms than their male counterparts. Findings underscore negative effects of bullying on students' mental health, as well as the importance of screening all students to identify exposure to various types of bullying.
This study elucidates the risk factors for school crises, examines students' support needs, and proposes effective interventions to fulfill those needs. An online questionnaire was administered to 551 university students from 42 prefectures who had experienced school crises during their elementary, middle, and high school years. Considering the retrospective nature of the study, unrecalled data were treated as missing values, and multiple imputations were employed to enhance the reliability of the findings. Key findings revealed that incidents involving death, those associated with friends, and witnessed events, posed significant risks of shock, with friend-related incidents being particularly pronounced. Students exhibited a notable demand for opportunities to receive explanations and ask questions during crises, especially among those who had experienced intense trauma. Conversely, the demand for school counselors was low. During crises, students often rely on close and familiar figures, such as family, friends, and class teachers. Based on these findings, we propose the need for assessments tailored to the specific characteristics of the incident, provision of opportunities for explanation and inquiry, and enabling familiar persons to support children with professional backing.
Social justice has received increasing attention in school/educational psychology literature in response to growing diversity within school populations. However, it is suggested that an emphasis on defining the construct has led to a practice-to-research gap. This systematic literature review explores how social justice is currently represented and enacted in school/educational psychologist (S/EP) practice within empirical literature published over the last decade. Eight studies comprised 68 participants across UK and US contexts were identified and analyzed through an inductive critical thematic synthesis approach. Seven descriptive themes are grouped into three overarching analytical themes: (1) Initial and ongoing S/EP development; (2) Facilitating equitable access and participation within existing systems; and (3) Transforming systems which perpetuate injustice. A conceptual model of the synthesized themes is presented. S/EPs consistently describe social justice as integral to their role, offering concrete examples of practice across levels of service delivery and nuanced reflections around facilitating and impeding factors. However, continued reliance on English-speaking, self-selecting participants, along with limited diversity in the psychology workforce may suppress non-Western perspectives and uphold traditional evidence hierarchies. Future research should explore the application of emerging frameworks for the systematic integration of social justice in S/EP practice.
The relationship between mental health and academic achievement in children has been widely studied, yet the specific dynamics between the two domains remain unclear. This study explored the multiple relationships between mental health and reading in Chinese elementary school students by network approach, including non-directional and directional associations. Participants were 1535 Grades 3, 4, and 5 students from three elementary schools in northwest China. The multiple relationships among depression, anxiety, and reading were computed and visualized by the regularized partial correlation network and the Bayesian network. The findings showed that the non-directional associations between mental health and reading in Chinese elementary students were weak but complicated. Mental health and reading achievement could not predict each other directly through cross-sectional data. The multiple relationships within the network and the transmission between depression and anxiety in Chinese children were discussed. The findings help educators and school psychologists improve their understanding of the realm and advance their educational plans for elementary school students.
This study examines whether enhancements in social - emotional competencies (SEC) achieved through social - emotional learning (SEL) interventions influence students' academic engagement, psychological well-being, and subjective school well-being. A mindfulness-based SEL program comprising emotional awareness, deep breathing, meditation, and reflective decision-making(was implemented in a mixed-methods, randomized experiment with 10-14-year-olds in Kosovo (experimental n = 82; control n = 95). Outcomes were assessed using the Social-Emotional Competence Questionnaire (SECQ), Engagement Against Dissatisfaction with Learning (EDL), Child World Psychological Well-Being Scale (CW-PSWBS), and Student Subjective Well-Being Questionnaire (SSWQ). Quantitative pre/post data were analyzed via MANCOVA, regression, correlation, and t-tests; qualitative data from student focus groups underwent thematic analysis. MANCOVA indicated small-to-medium effects for SEC (partial eta 2 = .027), academic engagement (partial eta 2 = .068), and subjective school well-being (partial eta 2 = .049). Within the experimental group, pre - post gains were small-to-moderate for SEC (d = .41) and psychological well-being (d = .33). Posttest comparisons favored the intervention with small-to-moderate effects for academic engagement (d = .46) and subjective school well-being (d = .36), and a small effect for SEC (d = .21). Thematic findings corroborated quantitative results, highlighting improved emotional awareness, self-regulation, motivation, and classroom relationships. Collectively, the intervention yielded modest yet meaningful benefits across engagement and well-being domains.
