Welcome to the first issue of 2017, which happens to mark 10 years of my editorship. I hope you found the special edition last year on developmental disabilities interesting and helpful. This issue is a mixture of topics, again starting with mental health in different populations, then articles looking at counselling in schools and finishing off with three articles on bullying.

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.

There is growing evidence that children are vulnerable to poor psychological outcomes following exposure to a range of potentially traumatic events. Teachers are in a unique and well-placed position to provide vital support to children following potentially traumatic events and to also provide a vital role in helping to identify children who may be experiencing ongoing psychosocial difficulties. We present a review of mental health trauma resources available for use in educational settings within Australia and New Zealand, with a primary focus on post-disaster resources. We describe the design, development, and dissemination of our resources and training package, Childhood Trauma Reactions: A Guide for Educators from Preschool to Year 12, and present data on how these resources were received. Trauma-informed practices within the school and classroom will enable better outcomes in the immediate post-trauma environment and beyond for all children. Our model focuses on: (1) increasing awareness and understanding of children's post-trauma reactions, (2) exploring effective strategies for teachers within the classroom, and (3) developing policy and procedures for the identification and referral of children who may be at risk. More funding is required to help distribute training and resources and to make mental health following trauma a higher priority.

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.

Factors contributing to academic achievement among recently arrived Chinese adolescents in Australia remain relatively underexplored. Previous studies focused on Asian migrants, including Chinese, but did not distinguish Chinese from other Asian migrants. The current study specifically looks at Chinese migrants who have recently arrived, as opposed to Asian migrants. This study aims to explore the role of social support, school belonging, and acculturative stress on academic achievement of recently arrived Chinese adolescents (n = 55). Questionnaires were administered to this sample. The results indicated that school belonging, interestingly, was negatively associated with academic achievement. Perceived social support and acculturative stress were not significantly associated with academic achievement. The findings provide insights into risk and protective factors influencing academic achievement of Chinese migrants. Implications of the findings are discussed.

Online counselling is increasingly being used as an alternative to face-to-face student counselling. Using an exploratory mixed methods design, this project investigated the practice by examining the types of therapeutic goals that 11- to 25-year-olds identify online in routine practice. These goals were then compared to goals identified in equivalent school and community-based counselling services; 1,137 online goals (expressed by 504 young people) and 221 face-to-face goals (expressed by 220 young people) were analysed for key themes using grounded theory techniques. This analysis identified three core categories: (1) Intrapersonal Goals, (2) Interpersonal Goals, and (3) Intrapersonal Goals Directly Related to Others. Further statistical analysis of these themes indicated that online and face-to-face services appear to be used in different ways by students. These differences are discussed alongside the implications for professionals working in educational settings.

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.

Purpose in life has emerged as an important notion in positive psychology. It is regarded as a factor that can contribute to any individual's wellbeing. Based on a review of the literature, the authors discuss key issues that pertain to purpose in life, including how the construct is defined and conceptualised, its importance in living a fulfilling life, and the development of purpose across the lifespan. Because of its potential to contribute to positive youth development, the authors also discuss how extant research findings can inform school guidance and counselling interventions for adolescents. The PATHS Program in Hong Kong is used as an example to illustrate how students can be helped to establish their purpose in life through the guidance curriculum.

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.

The aim of this research was to examine effects of cigarette smoking on depression and anxiety among children and adolescents (youth) with early onset schizophrenia and/or psychosis. Data were obtained from the national evaluation of the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and Their Families Program (CMHS Program). Cubic mixed models were used to analyze the longitudinal data with seven waves (over 3 years). Results showed that 29% youth (N = 117, mean age at intake = 13.9) smoked cigarettes in any prior 6-month period. Cigarette users had high levels of initial and sustained depression and anxiety throughout the seven waves. Predicted depression and anxiety scores of cigarette users and non-users showed that cigarette users had higher but more stable states of anxiety and depression. Results suggested that youth with EOS might use cigarettes for mood regulation. Implications of results for psychologists and counsellors in schools are discussed.

This study explored cyberbullying, coping resources and coping styles in a sample of 107 10- to 12-year-old Australian primary school students. Approximately 13% of participants reported experiencing single episodes of cyberbullying victimisation, while almost half of the participants (48.6%) reported being repeatedly cyberbullied. Technological responses employed by cyberbullying victims included blocking, deleting, and changing passwords. Those who reported a single episode of cyberbullying had higher levels of self-esteem compared to the never cyberbullied or repeatedly cyberbullied groups, but there were no significant differences in attachment, locus of control, and coping styles. These findings have important implications for teachers, parents, school psychologists, and researchers in terms of defining and operationalising cyberbullying, and developing cyberbullying interventions for primary school children.

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.

Victimisation among students has been identified as a serious problem in Australian schools. This study investigated approaches taken by South Australian middle school students for dealing with victimisation. Over 170 students (aged 11–16) described how they coped with bullying and situations where they needed to take action against bullying. A content analysis of their responses found that students used coping strategies, including: (a) seeking social support, (b) standing up for peers/friends, (c) externalising, (d) nonchalance, (e) sticking up for oneself, (f) problem-solving, (g) submission, (h) reducing tense emotions/assertiveness, and (i) escape. One of the significant findings was that students did not identify school counsellors as a source of coping support, which has implications for their role in addressing incidents of victimisation.

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.

Bullying is a common problem in school. Engagement in bullying has been known to have many adverse effects, even including suicide. Examining which factor will moderate or mediate the pathway from victimisation to suicidal ideation is needed to develop effective intervention initiatives. This study aimed to examine the mediator and moderator roles of perceived social support in the relationship between victimisation and suicidal ideation. The participants in the study were 946 Chinese adolescents (402 girls, 544 boys) who ranged in age from 11 to 16 years old. The results showed that 48.1% of these adolescents reported being bullied in school. Victimisation was positively correlated with suicidal ideation. There was evidence that perceived social support buffered, as well as partially mediated, the relationship between victimisation and suicidal ideation. Results suggest that helping students to seek more support from their parents and peers may be an effective bullying intervention program.

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.