Search

Despite research emphasis on university students' counselling needs and service benefits, barriers to counselling service participation for students have been less explored in Ghanaian higher education. Yet literature is replete with reports on high undergraduate student attrition and a low sense of belonging, stressing the severe need for increased counselling service participation among students in higher education. This article explored the barriers to increased counselling service participation faced by Ghanaian public university students. Our research engaged 13 counselled undergraduate students, purposively selected via snowball and convenience sampling techniques. We engaged study participants in in-depth interviews and a focus group discussion to gather appropriate data and further used the interpretive phenomenological approach to find meaning in the gathered data. Students revealed their perceptions on poor counsellors' sense of initiative, their low service awareness, and their misconceptions which seem to hinder students' counselling service participation. Our results underscore the need for more service advertising and possibly increased counsellor initiative to promote counselling service use among higher education students in Ghana. Daily service advertising with counsellors' reliance on text and WhatsApp messaging, still pictures and short videos on the various campuses (Amos et al., 2020) would considerably increase students' awareness of counselling services.

The relationship between employability skills and career transition among neurodivergent individuals is a topic that has been gaining significant attention in recent years. The objective of the study was to determine the predictive power of employability skills on career transition among individuals with neurodiversity. This study utilized a predictive correlational research design with a sample of ninety-four neurodivergent individuals from Southeast Nigeria. Two instruments--the Employability Skills Measurement Scale (ESMS) and Career Transition Inventory (CTI) French Version (CTI-F)--were used for data collection in the study. This study employed linear regression analysis to determine the predictive power of employability skills on career transition and the coefficient of determination (R2). To test the hypothesis at a probability level of .05, an analysis of variance (ANOVA) associated with regression was used. The coefficient of determination (R2) value of .098 showed that employability skills had very low predictive power for career transition among neurodivergent individuals. This means the employability skills of neurodivergent individuals in Southeast Nigeria accounted for 9.8 percent of their career transition variance. However, the findings also showed that employability skills are a significant predictor of career transition among neurodivergent individuals in Southeast Nigeria F(1, 93) = 10.019, p = .02. Consequently, employability skills play a significant role in predicting career transitions among neurodivergent individuals in Southeast Nigeria. This study provided the first empirical evidence of the relationship between employability skills and the career transition of neurodivergent individuals in Southeast Nigeria, Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study explores the role of sports psychology in managing concussion recovery and facilitating athletes' readiness to return to play. Methods and Materials: A qualitative research design was utilized, involving semi-structured online interviews with athletes who had experienced concussions, sports psychologists, and medical professionals. 36 Participants were recruited through purposeful sampling, and data collection continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed using NVivo software through an inductive thematic approach, allowing for the emergence of key themes. Reflexivity and researcher triangulation were employed to ensure the rigor and reliability of the findings. Findings: Four main themes emerged: psychological interventions, mental barriers and facilitators in return to play, the role of support systems, and the long-term psychological impact of concussions. Psychological interventions, such as cognitive-behavioral techniques and mindfulness practices, were effective in reducing anxiety and enhancing resilience. Fear of re-injury and performance anxiety were significant barriers, while confidence restoration and motivation levels facilitated recovery. Social support from family, teammates, and coaches played a crucial role in alleviating psychological distress. The long-term impact included identity crises, chronic symptoms, and ongoing mental health concerns, emphasizing the need for holistic support. Conclusion: The findings underscore the importance of integrating psychological interventions in concussion recovery. Addressing fear, anxiety, and identity loss, while enhancing confidence and social support, is crucial for a successful return to play. This study highlights the necessity for comprehensive recovery protocols that consider both physical and psychological readiness. Practitioners should prioritize individualized psychological assessments and foster supportive environments to improve recovery outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This PRISMA scoping review identifies the emerging evidence on the relationship between the philosophy of ubuntu and the principles of inclusive education. The searches in this scoping review were conducted in AERD, Scopus, BASE EBSCO Host and Google Scholar to find the relationship between the philosophy of ubuntu as an African traditional knowledge system and the principles of inclusive education. Seven of the studies were included from a total of 134 articles published in Africa from January 2021 to December 2022 in English. Articles were excluded from review if they were published outside Africa, not in English, and from the period before January 2021. Data were thematically analysed following the thematic approach by Braun and Clarke (2021). Results organised by themes indicate that there is a very strong relationship between the philosophy of ubuntu and the principles of inclusive education. The thematic data analysis in this study indicated that both the philosophy of ubuntu and the principles of inclusive education are based on 1) equality, 2) unconditional acceptance, 3) enabling learning environment, and 4) respect for human diversity. The implication of this study is the recognition and adoption of the philosophy of ubuntu at inclusive education systems in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychological career assessment in South Africa is intrinsically laden with harmful beneficence that promotes social injustice and inequity. This article emerged from a finding of a desktop study that pointed toward harmful beneficence of career assessment as part of psychological assessment in South Africa. The article highlights that while psychological career assessments may appear as benevolent and protective of society, they also may promote inequity and injustice resulting in harmful beneficence. The article is a narrative review of selected literature not aiming at the empirical, generalizable results. The article attempts to answer the question: How can a narrative review of harmful beneficence of psychological career assessment tools help in bridging the gap between the Afro-Euro-Western worldviews for social justice and equity? The aim of the article is to increase understanding about bridging the gap of the AfroEuro-Western worldviews through suggesting ways in which harmful beneficence reduces and accommodates less resourced populations to access and benefit from psychological career assessment. Psychological career assessment is inaccessible to the marginalized of most South African populations. Methods: A narrative review followed the five steps by Arksey and O’Malley’s framework to guide the study. Harmful benevolence policy position emerged as one of the five themes and a serious gap in psychological career assessment. Results: This study only focuses on harmful benevolence of psychological career assessment tools from the lens of social injustice and inequity. Lack of non-psychological (culture-language sensitive) testing instruments, and the highly commercialized testing context continue to create a gap in the South African psychological testing context. The article concludes that expansion of participation in psychological career assessment may promote inclusive practices likely to address issues of social justice and equity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neurodiverse students frequently encounter distinct challenges that can adversely affect their mental well-being. This research aimed to investigate emotional distress, depression, and anxiety among neurodiverse students, examine the interrelationships among these factors, and assess the impact of participant characteristics., Aim: To address the problem of lack of data pointed out in the neurodiversity research in Nigeria, this study aims to examine the emotional distress, depression, and anxiety in neurodiverse students., Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out involving 200 neurodiverse students in Nigeria. Participants filled out self-report questionnaires that measured emotional distress (Brief Emotional Distress Scale for Youth), depression (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale Revised), and anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory). The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analyses, Bayesian Mann-Whitney U tests, two-way ANOVAs, and Kruskal-Wallis tests., Results: Anxiety was found to have the highest prevalence (mean = 68.8), followed by depression (mean = 34.2) and emotional distress (mean = 26.3). Significant positive correlations were identified among all three mental health factors, with the strongest correlation observed between depression and anxiety (rho = 0.492, P < 0.001). Moderate evidence indicated gender differences in emotional distress (BF 10 = 2.448). The interaction between educational environment and diagnosis had a significant effect on emotional distress ( F = 3.106, P = 0.017). Kruskal-Wallis tests indicated significant variations in anxiety levels across different educational settings ( P = 0.002), although post-hoc comparisons did not reveal significant differences among specific settings., Conclusion: This research emphasizes the prevalence of mental health challenges among neurodiverse students, particularly concerning anxiety. The intricate relationships among emotional distress, depression, and anxiety highlight the necessity for thorough mental health support. The impact of educational settings and diagnoses on mental health outcomes stresses the importance of customized interventions. These findings are significant for educators, mental health professionals, and policymakers in formulating targeted support strategies for neurodiverse students., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article., (©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)