Welcome to the second issue of the journal for 2017. In this issue, we again look at the mental health of students, followed by papers on career guidance and counselling in schools.

This study examined indicators of mental health, as well as strengths and difficulties, as reported by same-age boarding and non-boarding students spanning four time points over a 2-year period as they transitioned from primary to boarding school in Western Australia (i.e., at the end of Grade 7, beginning of Grade 8, end of Grade 8, and end of Grade 9). It presents data taken from a larger longitudinal quantitative study, which included 76 male and 74 female boarding students while they were in Grades 7 to 9. Findings indicate that boarding students and non-boarding students reported significant increases in depression, anxiety, as well as emotional symptoms and hyperactivity over time, and reported significant decreases in prosocial behaviour. However, examining the boarder × time interaction, boarding students reported significantly higher levels of anxiety and stress at the end of Grade 8 compared to non-boarding students. No significant difference over time was found in depressive symptomatology between boarding and non-boarding students, whereas at the beginning of Grade 8 and end of Grade 9, boarding students reported significantly higher emotional symptoms than non-boarding students. These findings are discussed in terms of the boarding school context and possible considerations for prevention and practice are presented.

The associations between attachment orientations, temperament, resilience, and various dimensions of self-defining memories were examined in 83 female Israeli adolescents and young adults. Resiliency and positive temperament were associated with positive qualities of memories, whereas negative emotionality and reactivity were associated with poor recollection quality. Lower levels of fearful attachment orientation were associated with interpersonal memories and mixed emotions in memories, and a profound-distrust attachment orientation was associated with life-threatening memories. The study highlights the contribution of these qualities to recollections and underscores the contribution to theory and practical implications.

This article examines the potential benefits of possessing the personality traits of determination and perseverance (often referred to as ‘grit’) in an academic setting. Previous studies in Western individualistic societies have emphasised the advantages of possessing this attribute of grit; but, to date, very few investigations have been conducted in collectivist cultures, such as those in the Asian contexts. This article provides a brief review of literature on this topic, reflecting perspectives from various socio-cultural milieus. From this knowledge base, several themes emerge, with implications for improving grit-related theory. Possible lines for future research are also suggested.

This research aimed to reveal the relationship between self-harm behaviour, body image, and self-esteem, and examined whether there was a difference between the body image and self-esteem of the adolescents who exhibited self-harm behaviour and those who did not. The study was conducted with the participation of 263 high school students — 143 females (54.3%) and 120 males (45.6%) — who studied in various high schools in the Trabzon province, Turkey. The students’ ages ranged from 15 to 18; the mean age was 17.02 (SD = 1.59). The research was conducted using the Inventory of Statements about Self-Injury, the Body Perception Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and a personal information form. The research concluded that there was a significant relationship between body image and self-esteem of the adolescents, and that body image and self-esteem were the significant regressors of self-harm behaviour.

The provision of online career information and guidance is becoming more popular among career counselling practitioners and policy makers targeting the postschool transitions of youth. Internet-based career exploration and guidance systems provide convenience and economy to both individuals confronted with career decision making as well as those assisting them in the process. However, the usefulness of these systems in improving the career uncertainty of young people is under-researched. This article presents the results of a cross-sectional survey conducted with high school students in Years 9–12 (N = 706) from 12 schools in New South Wales, Australia. Analyses reveal that: the majority of students are unaware of the online career guidance services targeted towards them; the personal characteristics, school type, and sector of participants differed between websites recalled; and that there are no significant relations between listed web resources and students’ career certainty. The article concludes with implications for career counselling practitioners and policy makers.

Many studies have examined the psychology of interest and interest development, with these studies spanning various fields such as educational psychology, personality development, and vocational guidance. However, the pragmatic benefit of being able to accurately measure interests has often overshadowed the broader potential benefits of research into interest development. Drawing from research across different fields, this article summarises the historical evolution of research into interest development, culminating with the four-phase model of interest development as advanced by Hidi and Renninger (2006). It proceeds to examine the impact of this research on the work of psychologists and counsellors in schools. Finally, this article concludes by problematising the current dominance of assessment services and the use of interest inventories, while exploring potential opportunities to better support student engagement through a broader understanding of interest development.

School counselling services have always been unpopular among Malaysian students. Many researchers have studied what prevents students from seeking mental health services. However, there is a lack of study on the barriers to seeking help in the context of Malaysian school counselling services. Using a sample of Chinese high school students (N = 277), this qualitative study explored the under-utilisation of school counselling services. A thematic analysis was used to analyse an open-ended question, and the findings uncovered contextualised issues such as: conceptualisation of problems and the shameful, fearful, concerned, and responsible self that contributes to the under-utilisation of school counselling services.

The limited number of programs of tested efficacy in the literature such as cognitive-behavioural therapy and family-based prevention of internet addiction is striking. The aim of this study was to analyse the effect of reality therapy-based group counselling on college students’ problematic internet use and life satisfaction. In order to determine who would participate in the counselling program, screening tests were administered to 418 students. Twenty students who met the inclusion criteria eventually took part. The Online Cognition Scale and Life Satisfaction Scale were used pre- and posttests in order to evaluate the counselling program. Results show that reality therapy-based group counselling significantly reduces the level of problematic internet use among college students and increases their life satisfaction levels.

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.

I am pleased to introduce a paper for our Applied Practices’ section of the journal, which is entitled Working Memory Interventions with Children: Classrooms or Computers? As one of the authors of this paper, with my colleague Kit Double, I can confirm that its scope is to examine what types of interventions for working memory in children currently exist, their relative efficacy in impacting working memory itself, as well as academic achievement, self concept and classroom engagement. Importantly, we explore the relative paucity of effective interventions, despite current rhetoric about the importance of working memory as a key part of executive functions. The role of attention factors, which are critical to working memory being used appropriately, is also examined. I recommend this paper to you all to challenge your preconceptions and to realistically evaluate what you can and should consider when advising about working memory as part of your practice.

The importance of working memory to classroom functioning and academic outcomes has led to the development of many interventions designed to enhance students’ working memory. In this article we briefly review the evidence for the relative effectiveness of classroom and computerised working memory interventions in bringing about measurable and sustainable benefits to students’ working memory, classroom engagement, and academic performance. Although there is considerable evidence that working memory is significantly linked to academic achievement, virtually no research has been undertaken within the classroom context, nor has the research had an intervention focus, nor has any research involved students themselves. Although there is a large amount of research on computerised working memory training programs, the evidence confirms that such programs rarely provide transferable or sustainable benefits to students’ working memory, classroom functioning, or academic performance. Positive evidence is provided for one classroom intervention specifically designed for personal and independent use by students, with their teachers’ support. Recommendations for classroom practice and directions for further research combining classrooms and computer interventions are discussed.

The author would like to make the below corrections to his article. The author apologises for these mistakes.