Indonesian Journal of Counseling and Development

Counseling Interventions for Academic Stress in Students: A Systematic Literature Review Using PRISMA 2020 Guidelines

Latifah Dewi Indriyani, Anni Suprapti, Mayang T. Afriwilda — Sat, 25 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0700

Academic stress constitutes a pervasive global challenge with measurable consequences for students' psychological well-being and academic performance. Despite the proliferation of counseling interventions across diverse educational contexts, a comprehensive synthesis of their effectiveness and cross-cultural applicability remains limited. This study aims to identify global trends of effective counseling interventions to deal with students' academic stress at various levels of education. The study used the Systematic Literature Review (SLR) method by following the guidelines of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analysis (PRISMA) through a literature search in the Scopus database. The initial identification process resulted in 269 articles published in the range of 2020-2025, and after going through a gradual process, there were 10 articles that met the criteria for analysis. The findings show that various interventions such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness, Group Counseling, Stress Management Programs, and Commitment Therapy have been proven to be effective in reducing students' academic stress. Among these, MBI emerged as a promising approach with consistent positive outcomes across multiple cultural contexts, evidenced by significant effect sizes (e.g., d=0.62–0.84) in three independent studies conducted in Indonesia, the United States, and China. These findings can be a reference for counselors in implementing evidence-based counseling services through group formats and digital platforms that are in accordance with the cultural context of students.

Career Adaptability of Female High School Students in Islamic Boarding Schools in Yogyakarta: An Empirical Analysis and Career Development Challenges

Sarah Salsabila, Aprilia Tina Lidyasari, Afanin Halqim — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0700

The career adaptability of female high school students in Islamic boarding schools is a crucial aspect of building their readiness to navigate complex workforce dynamics. However, empirical studies focusing on this specific demographic remain remarkably scarce. This study addresses this literature gap by quantitatively assessing career adaptability levels to understand their unique developmental needs. Employing a descriptive quantitative design, data were collected from 175 female high school students across four Islamic boarding schools in Yogyakarta. The assessment utilized the Indonesian Career Adapt-Abilities Scale (ID-CAAS). Descriptive statistical analysis reveals that the overall career adaptability of these students predominantly falls within the moderate category (42.3%). Notably, while the students exhibited strong capacities in the concern and confidence dimensions, indicating a positive future orientation and self-belief significant vulnerabilities emerged in their autonomy and exploration. Specifically, 38.3% of the students scored in the low to very low categories for the control dimension, and 30.2% for the curiosity dimension. These empirical findings expose a critical readiness gap. Despite possessing a foundational awareness of their future, the students significantly lack the independent decision-making skills and exploratory initiative necessary for optimal career development. This limitation is heavily influenced by the restrictive environment and hierarchical culture of the boarding schools. Consequently, this study concludes that conventional career guidance methods are insufficient. It underscores the urgent need to design structured, context-sensitive interventions, such as independent career exploration media and community-facilitated guidance, to optimally strengthen the career autonomy and adaptive readiness of female high school students in Islamic boarding schools

Psychological Distress Across Grade Levels in Cadet-Based Boarding Senior High School Students: A Comparative Study of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress

Afifah Army Age, Diniy Hidayatur Rahman, Zamroni Zamroni — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0700

This study aimed to examine differences in depression, anxiety, and stress across grade levels among students in a cadet-based boarding senior high school. The study employed a quantitative approach with a comparative design. The participants were 423 students from grades X, XI, and XII, with an equal number of respondents in each grade. Data were collected using the 42-item Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-42), which measures three psychological dimensions: depression, anxiety, and stress. Data analysis was conducted through descriptive statistics and group comparison tests using ANOVA and Welch tests according to the characteristics of the data, followed by the Games-Howell test for variables showing significant differences. The findings revealed that grade-level differences emerged only for depression: grade XI students reported higher mean depression scores (M = 6.45, SD = 7.73) than grade X students (M = 4.35, SD = 5.62), Welch’s F(2, 275.7) = 3.62, p = .028, with the Games–Howell test confirming a significant grade X–grade XI difference (p = .027); anxiety and stress did not differ significantly across grades. Across all grades, the group mean scores for the three dimensions remained within the normal-to-mild range of the DASS-42 norms. This study concludes that students’ mental health dimensions in a cadet-based boarding school do not develop uniformly across grade levels. Therefore, guidance and counseling services need to strengthen promotive and preventive efforts that are more responsive to students’ developmental phases, particularly in monitoring depressive symptoms among more vulnerable groups