Approaches to the Prevention of Stress and Anxiety in School Psychological Counselling

Abstract

This study is a scoping review that aims to comprehensively map the scientific evidence on school-based approaches for the primary prevention of stress and anxiety in children and adolescents. Stress and anxiety are prevalent internalizing problems that negatively affect students’ academic achievement, social relationships, and emotional functioning. The review was conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology for scoping reviews and the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Based on the PCC framework, studies focusing on primary-level prevention of stress and anxiety among children and adolescents aged 6-18 years and implemented in school settings were examined. The literature search was limited to studies published between 2010 and 2025 and indexed exclusively in the PubMed database. This restriction was justified by the fact that a substantial portion of the prevention literature is published in health- and mental health–focused journals; however, this choice also limits the scope of the findings. A total of ten studies meeting the inclusion criteria were synthesized using thematic analysis. The findings indicate that evidence on school-based preventive interventions demonstrates small but statistically significant reductions in stress and anxiety symptoms, although these effects may diminish over time. Notably, the evidence supporting targeted interventions designed for students at moderate to high risk appears to be stronger than that for universal programs. In conclusion, the study emphasizes the need to strengthen short, scalable, and targeted primary prevention approaches in school psychological counseling that address risk factors at an early stage.

Keywords

• School mental health
• primary prevention
• school-based interventions
• stress and anxiety in children and adolescents
• school psychological counselling

Supporting Institution

There is no statement of support for the article.

Ethical Statement

The article titled “Approaches to the Prevention of Stress and Anxiety in School Psychological Counselling” is original research; we hereby state that we have acted in accordance with scientific ethics, principles, and rules at all stages of this research (preparation, literature review, data collection, data analysis, and presentation); that all sources consulted in the course of this study have been duly included in the reference list; that no sources not consulted have been included; that no alterations have been made to the data during their use; that the research does not contain any form of plagiarism; and that we have complied with our ethical duties and responsibilities by fully accepting all the terms and conditions of the Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Directive of Higher Education Institutions and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Principles. We further state that we accept full moral and legal responsibility for any consequences that may arise should any situation contrary to the statements made herein be identified in relation to our research.

Thanks

There is no statement of acknowledgement for the article.

Okul Psikolojik Danışmanlığında Stres ve Kaygının Önlenmesine Yönelik Yaklaşımlar

Abstract

Bu çalışmanın amacı, çocuk ve ergenlerde stres ve kaygının birincil düzeyde önlenmesine yönelik okul temelli yaklaşımlara ilişkin mevcut bilimsel kanıtları sentezlemektir. Stres ve kaygı, okul çağındaki bireylerde en yaygın duygusal güçlükler arasında yer almakta olup akademik başarı, sosyal işlevsellik ve psikolojik iyi oluş üzerinde önemli olumsuz etkiler yaratabilmektedir. Bu nedenle okul ortamında uygulanan birincil önleme stratejileri, günümüzde okul ruh sağlığı hizmetlerinin temel bileşenlerinden biri hâline gelmiştir. Araştırma, Joanna Briggs Institute kapsamlı derleme metodolojisi ve PRISMA-ScR raporlama yönergeleri doğrultusunda yürütülmüştür. PCC (Population-Concept-Context) çerçevesi temel alınarak, 6-18 yaş aralığındaki çocuk ve ergenlerde stres ve kaygının okul temelli birincil düzeyde önlenmesine odaklanan çalışmalar incelenmiştir. Literatür taraması PubMed veri tabanında gerçekleştirilmiş ve 2010-2025 yılları arasında yayımlanan çalışmalar değerlendirilmiştir. Bulgular, okul temelli önleyici müdahalelerin stres ve kaygı belirtilerinde küçük ancak istatistiki olarak anlamlı azalmalar sağladığını göstermektedir. Müdahalelerin etkililiğiyle ilişkili temel bileşenler ise bilişsel davranışçı beceri eğitimi, psikoeğitim, farkındalık uygulamaları, problem çözme stratejileri ve dijital destekli önleyici yaklaşımlar olarak belirlenmiştir. Ayrıca, orta ve yüksek risk grubunda yer alan öğrencilere yönelik hedefli müdahalelerin, evrensel programlara kıyasla daha güçlü ve belirgin etkiler ortaya koyabildiği görülmüştür. Okul psikolojik danışmanlığı hizmetlerinin öğrencilerin ruh sağlığını destekleme kapasitesini artırmak amacıyla kısa süreli müdahalelerin, yapılandırılmış psikoeğitim programlarının ve dijital destekli önleyici uygulamaların yaygınlaştırılması ve güçlendirilmesi önerilmektedir.

Keywords

• Okul ruh sağlığı
• birincil düzey önleme
• okul temelli müdahaleler
• çocuk ve ergenlerde stres ve kaygı
• okul psikolojik danışmanlığı

Supporting Institution

Araştırma için herhangi bir destek beyanı bulunmamaktadır.

Ethical Statement

“Okul Psikolojik Danışmanlığında Stres ve Kaygının Önlenmesine Yönelik Yaklaşımlar” başlıklı makalenin bütün aşamalarında (hazırlık, literatür taraması, veri toplama, veri analizi, sunum) bilimsel etik, ilke ve kurallara uygun davrandığımızı; bu çalışma kapsamında yararlanılan eserlerin tamamına kaynakçada yer verdiğimizi; kullanmadığımız hiçbir kaynağı kaynakçaya eklemediğimizi; verileri kullanırken veriler üzerinde bir değişiklik yapmadığımızı; araştırmanın intihal içermediğini; Yükseköğretim Kurumları Bilimsel Araştırma ve Yayın Etiği Yönergesi ile Yayın Etiği Komitesi (COPE) İlkelerinin tüm şartlarını ve koşullarını kabul ederek etik görev ve sorumluluklara riayet ettiğimizi; araştırmamızla ilgili burada yazılı ifadelerimize aykırı herhangi bir durumun saptanması durumunda ortaya çıkabilecek ahlaki ve hukuki bütün sonuçları kabul edeceğimizi beyan ederiz.

Thanks

Araştırma için herhangi bir teşekkür beyanı bulunmamaktadır.

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