This study identified issues in school – and in life outside school – that caused significant worry for 120 Chinese adolescents (72 males, 48 females) attending a secondary school in Hong Kong. The study explored relationships existing among 3 variables comprising degree of worry, students' general self-efficacy, and their academic achievement. Findings indicated that the students' principal worries centred on school-related matters such as examinations, promotion to higher classes, and getting a job after graduation. Students also worried significantly about the health status of family members, and family finances. Differences in patterns of worry and in self-efficacy beliefs were found between lower- and higher-achieving students. No significant correlations were found among students' degree of worry, general self-efficacy, and achievement. Results are discussed from the perspective of Chinese culture, the Hong Kong education system, and support for students.

Recent epidemiological studies in Australia have found that adolescent mental health issues are an important public health problem (Sawyer et al., 2001). These problems are often manifested in the classroom. As many as one in five Australian children aged from 4 to 17 have significant mental health concerns (Zubrick, Silburn, Burton, & Blair, 2000). However, only one in four of these young people receive professional help (Sawyer et al., 2001). To assist in preventing these problems, schools in Australia have been trialling innovative strategies in mental health promotion, prevention and intervention such as the Gatehouse Project and MindMatters. When selected or indicated prevention strategies are employed there is a need for identification of those students either at-risk or who have mild symptoms of a disorder. This process needs to be efficient and effective, using multiple informants and multi-methods. This article reports on the process utilised by two Australian high schools that trialled an identification process for at-risk students for anxiety/depression using indicated prevention programs. The benefits of using teachers, support staff and student self-identification are discussed.

The study investigated whether social skills and problem behaviours of preschool children differ according to their cognitive styles. The sample group included 366 six-year-old children who attend preschools in Konya. Form A of the Kansas Reflection-Impulsivity Scale for Preschoolers (KRISP), developed by Wright (1971), was used to determine whether the participants had reflective or impulsive cognitive styles, while Preschool and Kindergarten Behaviour Scales (PKBS), developed by Merrell (2003), were used to evaluate social skills and problem behaviour dimensions. Results found that impulsive children were less efficient than reflective children in regards to their social cooperation and social interaction skills, and they exhibited more problem behaviours like self-centred/explosive behaviours, lack of attention/hyperactivity, antisocialism/aggression and social withdrawal.

A picture is emerging of how Australian young people cope with matters which concern them. This paper draws comparisons between how a group of young people who have been identified by their teachers as ‘able’, and those in the general community, deal with their problems. The picture that emerges is one where ‘able’ young people are more focused on working hard and dealing directly with problems rather than engaging in wishful fantasy or giving up in resignation. However they are less likely to engage in intimate relationships with their peers which may be a reflection of their more restricted social development.

This article reports findings from an empirical study examining the influence of student background and educational experiences on the development of career choice capability. Secondary school students attending Years 9–12 (N = 706) in New South Wales, Australia, were invited to participate in an online survey that sought to examine factors influencing their readiness to make a career choice. The survey included questions relating to student demographics, parental occupation, attitudes to school and to learning, career aspirations, and students’ knowledge of the further education or skills required to achieve their desired goal. We found no significant differences in the proportions of students who were ‘uncertain’ of their future career aspirations with respect to their individual characteristics, such as age and gender. There were, however, significant differences in relation to students’ family background, and their perceptions associated with their own academic abilities and self-efficacy.

Research into the areas of depression and resilience suggests that an optimistic attributional style is a key factor in coping effectively with stressors and functioning adaptively despite adversity. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a program designed to increase positive thinking skills, through awareness and practice, to pre-adolescent children who have been identified as exhibiting a more pessimistic explanatory style. From a total of 110 Year 5 and 6 students, 38 students were selected to participate in the program because they exhibited a more pessimistic explanatory style. Program participants were administered the Children's Attributional Style Questionnaire (CASQ) at pre-, post-, and 3-month post-program. Non-program participants completed the CASQ at pre- and 3-month post- program. Results indicated that program participants significantly improved their attributional style scores post program, and that these improvements were maintained at 3-month post-program follow-up. When attributional style difference scores at pre- and 3-month post program were compared, improved scores for program participants were significantly greater than changes in attributional style scores for those students who were not in the program. Given the links between attributional style, depression, and a range of behaviours, such promising results warrant further investigation into the effects of such a program on other outcome measures. The findings provide support for the benefits to be gained by developing positive attributional style during the pre-adolescent years.

Anxiety disorders in older children and adolescents have long been acknowledged as impairing, persistent and predictive of future anxiety and mood-related disorders. Until recently, however, anxiety in preschoolers and younger children has been regarded as relatively uncommon and within normal developmental parameters. Increasing evidence is suggestive that symptoms of anxiety in preschoolers parallel those in older children (Hirshfeld-Becker, Micco, Mazirsky, Bruett, & Henin, 2011) with this under-investigated area attracting increasing interest from researchers and clinicians alike. The present review summarises the empirical literature on early intervention and prevention programs for anxiety in young children (aged 3–7 years) with a specific focus on the application of such programs in the school context and implications for guidance counsellors, an improved understanding of which is critical for informing effective intervention. The studies reviewed demonstrate promising outcomes for anxiety; however, there is still a significant amount of work to be done in terms of our understanding of developmentally appropriate, family-focused and child-led models of anxiety and early intervention and prevention protocols.

The aim of this research was to assess the mediating role of self-esteem and optimism in the correlation between test anxiety and life satisfaction. The study group comprised 201 females (50.6%), 185 males (46.6%) and 11 students without stated gender (2.8%) for a total of 397 high school students. The ages of adolescents included in the study group varied from 14 to 19, with a mean age of 16.09 (SD = 1.09). The research used the Test Anxiety Inventory, Satisfaction with Life Scale, Self-Esteem Scale, Life Orientation Test and a personal information form developed by the researchers as data collection tools. According to the results of correlation analysis, there were significant correlations between test anxiety, self-esteem, optimism and life satisfaction. According to the mediation test results, self-esteem and optimism have full mediating roles in the correlation between test anxiety and life satisfaction. The results obtained are discussed with reference to the literature.

This study reports on the design and effectiveness of the Exploring Self-Concept program for primary school children using self-concept as the outcome measure. The program aims to provide a procedure that incorporates organisation, elaboration, thinking, and problem-solving strategies and links these to children's multidimensional self-concept. The results of this research support the notion that teachers and guidance counsellors need to establish a nonthreatening framework that allows them to discuss with children a range of relevant issues related to peer pressure, parent relations, self-image, body image, gender bias, media pressure, values and life goals, in a systematic, objective and cooperative manner. Within the paper, notions associated with self-concept maturation, ‘crystallisation’ of self-concept beliefs, cognitive differentiation and self-concept segmentation are reviewed.

This study compared two popular measures of cognitive ability for preschool children. The Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence — Third Edition (WPPSI-III) and the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale — Fifth Edition (SB5) were administered in a counterbalanced order to 36 typically developing 4-year-old children. There were significant correlations among all WPPSI-III and SB5 composite scores but a number of children had notable differences between their scores on the two measures. Children tended to prefer the SB5 over the WPPSI-III. The implications for practitioners who assess preschool-aged children are discussed.

Aggressive behaviour in school-aged children presents a significant challenge for society. If not managed, it can result in adverse academic, social, emotional, and behavioural outcomes for the child. In addition, it can create stress for families and become a significant burden for the community as these children reach adolescence and adulthood, and engage in antisocial behaviours. Using a three-step exploratory analytical strategy, this study explored parent and child reports of a diverse range of underlying developmental and clinical variables that have been identified in the literature as predictors of aggressive child behaviour, and which could be addressed within an Australian school or community context. A total of 57 children and their parents were recruited from a referral-based Western Australian child mental health service, and the wider community. A group of 31 clinically aggressive children were identified and compared to a group of 26 non-aggressive children. The aggressive group was reported as having a greater prevalence of internalising symptoms, including anxiety and depression, and their aggressive behaviour was more likely to be of the callous/unemotional type, relative to their non-aggressive counterparts. Significant predictors of belonging to the aggressive group included child social problems, thought problems, attention problems, affective problems, narcissism, symptoms of ADHD and PTS, and low maternal self-esteem. Findings are presented and discussed in the context of established theories. Recommendations for principles of treatment for aggressive children and their families are suggested.

This paper discusses the application of Gardner's (1983) theory of multiple intelligences to the counseling of children, particularly young children who appear as repeat offenders in the school system. Specifically this paper seeks to answer the question: Does Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences have an application to counseling, and if so how would this theory impact on counseling practice? The results of this study suggest that Gardner's theory does have application to professional counseling practice, particularly with children.

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) has substantial support in adult populations but less among adolescents. To date, very little research has evaluated whether it can be delivered in a highly accessible school context. This study examined a 6-hour, weekly ACT-informed school-based group intervention for adolescent girls, focusing on anxiety, depression and building psychological flexibility. Participants (N = 10) who completed the intervention experienced significantly lowered levels of anxiety and increased psychological flexibility, with postintervention scores for all variables trending in the expected directions. Findings provide preliminary support for the efficacy of the intervention and encourages further evaluation of ACT delivered in schools.

This study examines the association between psychosocial adjustment and future expectations in early adolescence. This research tries to fill some gaps in the literature on how current adjustment might be an antecedent of early adolescents’ future expectations. Participants were 781 students (mean age = 12.37 years). Data were collected in 11 schools. The results revealed statistically significant correlations between self-esteem, life satisfaction, self-efficacy, emotional and behavioural problems, educational and social adjustment, and future expectations. The structural equation model confirmed a positive relation between psychosocial adjustment and these adolescents’ future expectations. The main contribution of this research is to further our comprehension of the development of adolescents’ future expectations and the way in which psychosocial adjustment has an impact on such development. Future expectations are an important protective factor for healthy development in adolescence, as thinking about the future motivates everyday behaviour and influences choices, decisions and future activities.

Maladaptive perfectionism and controlled motivation are vulnerability factors for burnout. This study examined the relationships between two aspects of perfectionism (high standards, discrepancy), four academic motivational orientations (intrinsic, identified, introjected, extrinsic), and academic burnout. The target population was 12th graders in South Korea, and a total of 950 participants were recruited using cluster sampling. Data were collected from three waves of longitudinal study. In particular, the mediating role of academic motivation (T2) in the link between perfectionism (T1) and academic burnout (T3) was tested using structural equation modelling. The results indicated that introjected motivation mediated the relationship between perfectionism and burnout. Specifically, both high standards and discrepancy were positively associated with introjected motivation, and in turn, introjected motivation was positively associated with burnout. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Parents play a crucial role in the development of their children. However, changing social, economic, educational and technological contexts are influencing the lives and roles of parents as well as those of their children. The one constant is that children need help to understand their bodies, puberty, their developing sexuality, and the myriad changes they experience. Parents can play an important and helpful role here, from their children's birth through preschooling and childhood and into adolescence, to educate and demystify children's sexuality. In response to living in the technological era upon us now, a selection of developmentally appropriate web sites has been identified here for parents to use in tandem with their offspring to enhance their important role as first sexuality educators of their children.

The role and training of Queensland guidance officers appears to be set toward the practice end of the scientist-practitioner continuum. Yet data are presented which demonstrate that the expectations placed on many guidance officers are relatively sophisticated and specialised. Particularly in the areas of personal crisis counselling, family support and community-school development, today's guidance officers working in Queensland schools are required to demonstrate considerable specialisation. The profession seems to be facing a choice, attempt to develop into a group of true educational specialists with all the required training, supervision and in-service education or move to become a group of expert general practitioners. Some implications of these two options for the profession are explored.

The rise in popularity of Response to Intervention (RTI) as a method of identifying Learning Disabilities (LD) is partially due to the psychometric and theoretical issues inherent to the use of IQ tests in the once popular discrepancy method of identification. However, both RTI and discrepancy theories have their shortcomings, and criticisms directed at either method are usually applicable to both. This conceptual article puts forward a justification for using tests of the cognitive processes that are implicated in LD as a better method of LD identification. Although the unsuitability of the discrepancy method to accurately identify LD students is well established, it does represent the construct of LD well. Therefore, the discrepancy method can be used as an effective baseline measure against which improved identification procedures based on cognitive processes can be measured. Once these cognitive processes are more clearly defined, tests of these processes offer promise for LD identification.

How adolescents use the social networking site Facebook to express grief is a growing area of research. In reviewing current literature, it is evident that many questions still remain unanswered. Additionally, this ever-evolving platform for grief, mourning and bereavement may hold many implications for educators, policy developers and school counsellors and how they manage and support adolescents dealing with the sudden death of a peer. This article explores the reasons why Facebook memorials may appeal to a grieving adolescent, conventions in online grief, and challenges for schools in the context of policies for social networking.

Written language is a difficult endeavour as the demands of transcription require self-regulatory skills from a motor, cognitive and attention perspective. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relation between the Test of Writing Difficulties (Porpodas et al., 2007) and the Test of Detection and Investigation of Executive Functions (Simos et al., 2007) in a sample of 50 Greek-speaking, 5th-grade students with writing disabilities. The results of our study indicated that there were significant Pearson correlations ranging from .35 to .44 between executive functions and written expression. Furthermore, regression analysis showed that the subscales of the Test of Executive Functions had significant predictive power for spelling correctness and correction of jumbled sentences. Further implications of these findings for a school-based neuropsychological evaluation and planning of individualised educational interventions are discussed.