Practical 1

Aim

To explore the needs for counseling and propose an alternative intervention model amongst undergraduate

students of Daulat Ram College .

Introduction

Counseling

Another name for counseling is "conversation therapy." It is a procedure in which a person, a couple, or a

family meets with a qualified professional counselor to discuss problems and challenges in their lives.

Professional counseling is discrete and impartial.Counseling can give people the chance to express their

opinions, be heard, and obtain fresh insights into their circumstances and experiences. Clarity regarding

concerns can be achieved for clients through counseling. People identify and work toward reaching the

desired results and goals for counseling along with their counselor.

Counseling can help you with a variety of concerns and challenges you could be having. It can assist you

in managing stress and offer treatment for depression, anxiety, and both. Counseling can provide you the

chance to review or set new life objectives while also assisting you in finding clarity and a sense of

purpose. You can utilize counseling to resolve concerns and problems in your relationship or to mediate

conflicts with your partner. Counseling can be beneficial since it gives you a very safe and private setting

in which to discuss your difficulties and issues. You might find it challenging to discuss these issues with

others since they feel so personal. Talking to your regular support network, friends, or loved ones may

feel risky or uneasy. A skilled and licensed professional counselor will respond to your difficulties in a

sincere, compassionate, and sympathetic manner. An experienced counselor will use approaches and tools
that are supported by research. They can utilize these methods to support you or assist you in overcoming

any challenging issues, emotions, behaviors, thoughts, or circumstances that you may be going through.

What is the counseling process ?

Individuals, couples, or family members engage in confidential discussions about their concerns with a

professional counselor during the counseling process. While the client determines how to resolve the

issues that brought them to counseling, the counselor should offer understanding and empathy to the

client. The counselor will draw on tools and techniques from their training.Goals will be determined

during the counseling process, and this is what the counseling process is all about. If the counselor and

client agree that a change in the goals is advantageous, it may be made. The purpose of counseling, which

is frequently client-centered, is for the client to decide the best course of action with the help of their

therapist. The counselor can offer resources, methods, advice, and homework. As a crucial component of

the process, the client ultimately needs to decide what is best for themselves.

The counseling process involves a step-by-step approach and the counselor conducts it in a way to make

sure that his client is comfortable with the process. Let's have a look at the five crucial stages of a

counseling process.

1. Building a Warm Relationship

When you are hitting up a counselor to discuss your problems, you ought to suffer from any serious issue

concerning academics, relationships, career, or anything else. The first thing your expert does is to make

yourself comfortable around him/her. He focuses on developing a warm relationship and mutual trust first

to make sure you do not hesitate while speaking about the problems you are facing.
 2. Analysis

Now comes the second part, which is assessment. In this stage, the professional encourages you to speak

in detail about your problems to grab the roots of the problem. He observes every minute detail from how

you are speaking to your reactions to certain questions that might come from his end. Once he assesses

the problem, the goal is fixed.

3. Setting the Goal

After a thorough evaluation of your problems, now comes the significant section of goal setting.

Considering the issues you are facing, the counselor sets a goal. That can be either you overcoming the

problem or reconciling with it…

4. Plan of Action

The counselor plans an action for you to practice to see the results. Suppose someone has public speaking

fear, The expert might ask him to practice speaking in front of the mirror. This is just an instance. Once

you go through the plan for the desired tenure, he assesses your improvement. If things seem normal, you

are at the final stage! If not, he might design something different.

5. Overcoming the Problem

As I mentioned in the previous point, after you follow the plan of action the consequent results are taken

into consideration. If things seem to go in the right direction and you start feeling relaxed, yes! You have

achieved your goal.

Types of counseling

Counselors can specialize and train in different areas to help certain groups of people:

Marriage and Family Counseling : People often face a lot of problems in their marriage and family life.

Sometimes, these troubled people find it hard to cope up with their life. This results in constant fights

with their partners or family members. Marriage and family counseling comes in here. In other words, it

helps people with these problems. They take them into confidence and prescribe solutions that will help

them overcome their problems.

Educational Counseling : A student who is fresh out of school or college is often clueless as to which

career to choose. This is completely normal for kids of that age to feel like that. Furthermore, sometimes

even working individuals feel like that in the midst of their careers. This is nothing to worry about.

Educational counseling helps these people in choosing their career path. They conduct seminars and

orientations or private sessions where they discuss the interest of their client and offer solutions

accordingly.

Rehabilitation Counseling : This type of counseling refers to a practice where the counselor helps

people with their emotional and physical disabilities. Furthermore, these counselors teach these people

ways to live independently and maintain gainful employment. It evaluates the strength and limitations of

their patients. In short, they help people in guiding them and assisting them to lead independent lives.

Mental Health Counseling : Mental illnesses have become very common these days. Awareness has

helped people identify the symptoms of it and visit mental health counselors. Mental health counseling

helps people deal with issues that impact their mental health and well-being. Some of the mental illnesses

are depression, PTSD, ADHD, Bipolar disorder, and more. This counseling focuses on these issues and

helps in resolving them for a healthier life.

Substance Abuse Counseling :Substance abuse counseling is a form of counseling which helps people in

treating them and supporting them from breaking free from their drug and alcohol addiction. It helps
people discuss the cause of this addiction and reach to the root of it. The counselor thereby suggests

coping strategies which make a positive impact on their lives. Moreover, they also provide them with

practicing skills and behaviors which helps in their recovery.

The need for counseling among college students

Counseling helps students to achieve the following :

Build self confidence : In order to realize their full potential both inside and outside of the classroom,

students need to have the confidence to do so. Having a balanced perspective on yourself and your life is

the secret to having a strong feeling of self-confidence. It involves being able to take pleasure in your

abilities while also admitting your flaws. Due to a tragic occurrence in their past, some people struggle

with poor self-esteem. In order to assist the students, the student counselors must be specialists in a range

of therapies and mental health treatment modalities. There are numerous courses available that are

specifically made for student counselors to assist students who have experienced trauma.

Enhanced problem solving : Students may find it challenging to identify the tension-causing factors,

leading to an aggravation of the problem. Counseling is a great way to build resilience among the

students, so that, instead of shying away from problems, they face up to them and grow as individuals.

Counseling provides us with the discernment to discriminate between problems that can be solved on our

own and problems that require us to seek assistance. It is this positive approach towards problems that

counseling enables students to take that leads them to become self-efficient and also valuable team

members.

Improves stress management : Students face different types of stressors which include working

part-time, financial strains, relationships issues, family distancing, and depression. Each student is

different as to how many counseling sessions may be required to help them overcome the issues they face.
Counselors help students understand the causes that lead to stress and also aid them in relieving stress

through therapy sessions.

Improves social skills: Some students who are shy struggle with their communication skills. They find it

difficult to build healthy relations with other students and teachers. Therapists help students navigate the

social world in a normal and healthy manner. They help the students acquire the following skills: asking

for help, filing complaints, rejecting peer pressure, making requests, and making friends. During the

counseling sessions, the counselors help students identify the areas of improvement in their social and life

skills. The students get to improve their verbal and non-verbal skills, assertiveness, and practice active

listening.

Bring a positive change : Counseling helps students persevere in the face of setbacks and hurdles by

giving them a feeling of purpose, hope, and direction for the future. It encourages students to focus on

what is good about them and their life. Counseling can also help students recognize negative behaviors

and habits that need to be modified in order to reduce negativity. It helps with instilling a positive outlook

in the students through teaching them about the various aspects of psychological health.

Non -judgmental environment : It provides a non-judgmental environment for free expression where

Counseling helps students with expressing their opinions, views, and thoughts in a non-judgemental

environment. Usually, when students are closed off in social situations, it is because they feel unsafe

expressing themselves. Counselors create a welcoming, non-judgmental environment in which the

students feel at ease discussing their issues. Students feel secure in the knowledge that they will not be

condemned, insulted, or criticized for having different feelings and thoughts

Intervention methods

Counseling interventions have been defined in professional literature as a unique interrelationship

between a client and a counselor, which aims to create a change and a growth in three main areas:

Personal development, social adjustment, and professional development. During the counseling process,
the counselor has the responsibility to contribute to the process of change, concerning his or her client’s

personal development (Bordin, 1968). The current essay will demonstrate several significant elements

that are associated with counseling intervention as a psychological process, clarifying important aspects

and strategies that contribute to the effectiveness of the process.

The Benefits of Allowing the Client to Explore

During the history of psychology and counseling a wide range of attitudes and approaches such as the

Psychoanalytic theory, the Gestalt, Rogers’ Theory and the Behaviourism have been developed in order to

provide the client the ability to explore his or her inner world in varied strategies and modes of interaction

that aim to increase the level of awareness as well as the level of motivation to change. By allowing the

client to explore his or her hidden world and new aspects in his or her behavior, recognising social and

mental experiences can occur during the treatment process as well as the development of an insight. The

aim to facilitate clients to progress in the exploration process has been greatly based on the concept that

through connecting with vital healthy cores and by changing feelings, thoughts and behavior in an

individual way, the client can progress in the healing process and to fulfill his or her human potential.

The Benefits of Using Silences in the Relationship

Lerner (1989) has defined intimate relationships as “…one in which neither party silences, sacrifices, or

betrays the self and each party expresses strength and vulnerability, weakness and competence in a

balanced way.” (Lerner, 1989, p.3). Monsour (1992) has added that during the process the counselor

provides unconditional support, which has been regarded as one aspect of an intimate relationship.

Silences have been considered as un-verbal reactions that express different meanings such as empathy and

understanding or confusion and misunderstanding. Using silences in the relationship allows both the

counselor and the client to get closer, to share feelings and thoughts, or in a different way, to be aware of
distances and gaps that may occur in the process. Using silences also reflects to the client that he or she is

being listened to and that his or her shared feelings and thoughts are being carefully regarded.

The Benefits of Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing has been regarded in professional literature as an influential reaction that contributes greatly

to the process’ progress. This reaction encourages additional thoughts and new expressions and aids the

client in examining conflicts. Using paraphrasing during counseling also assists the counselor to clarify

and brighten the client’s expressions. It is also significant to note that reflecting expressions in the

relationships has been regarded as a similar psychological technique to paraphrasing although it includes

emotional aspects beyond cognitional elements that are used in paraphrasing. However, using both

paraphrasing and reflecting in the counseling process encourages the client to explore and examine his or

her feelings and thoughts, brightens significant hidden aspects, and aids in developing an insight.

The Benefits of Using Positive Verbal Encourages such as “Yes” and “OK”

Counselors’ attitudes and reactions can assist their clients to make a significant change in their thoughts

as well as behavior. Using positive verbal encouragement such as “yes” and “ok” during the counseling

process can reflect the client that the counselor believes in his or her ability to succeed in handling his or

her current condition and in progressing in the rehabilitation process. Using positive verbal

encouragement can also create a positive environment, in which the client trusts confidentially his or her

counselor’s supportive expressions and behavior.

The Belief behind Directive Counseling

During the history of psychological counseling, varied directive approaches such as Interpersonal Therapy

and the Gestalt approach and non-directive approaches such as Roger’s theory have been developed,

based on different concepts and assumptions. Interpersonal Therapy has focused on the interpersonal

relationships of the client, assuming that psychological problems can be treated by changing and

improving patterns of relationships and communication. The significant aspect of the interrelationship of

the individual with the environment has also played a central role in the Gestalt approach, emphasizing

the individual’s perception of reality

The Benefits of Using REBT Challenges

Basing on several major psychological approaches such as the Cognitive Behaviour Change theory,

clients in therapeutic treatments are required to monitor their feelings, thinking and interacting both with

themselves and with others, as they are encouraged to make changes in the “scripted nature” of their

behavior (Meichenbaum, 1986). Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) has reflected the concept

that the client’s disturbing emotions have been based on wrong or false thinking and beliefs. By using

REBT challenges during the treatment process such as self-talk and self-statements, the client can

challenge his or her wrong beliefs and assumptions through self-defeating internal dialogue. REBT

strategies provide clients the tools and the ability to replace exaggerated beliefs and thoughts with

encouraging adaptive thinking, emphasizing the modification of self-destructive concepts and feelings

and the elimination of irrational or negative thoughts

History and Description of The College Adjustment Scales (CAS)

The College Adjustment Scales (CAS)

The College Adjustment Scales (CAS) is an inventory used by professionals who offer college students

counseling services. The CAS was created to give college counseling clients a quick way to get screened

for common developmental and psychological issues (Grayson. 1989). Based on examinations of issues

presented in college counseling facilities. Measures of psychological discomfort, relational conflict, low

self-esteem, and challenges with academic and professional choice are available on the CAS scales. Here

are the nine CAS scales :

Anxiety (AN):

Scores on this scale reflect the extent to which the student is currently experiencing the physical and

psychological correlates of anxiety. Students with high scores on this scale are likely to be experiencing

muscle tension, increased vigilance and scanning of their environment and signs of autonomic

hyperactivity such as rapid and shallow respiration . These students may also have excessive concerns and

worries about real or expected life events, which may be experienced as intrusive and unwanted thoughts.

Depression (DP):

The scale measures the degree to which a student is experiencing the physical and psychological

correlates of depression. Students with high school on the scale are unlikely to be easily or chronically

fatigued and to have lost interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities. Search students are often

affected by feelings of sadness and hopelessness that they cannot seem to combat on their own . Social

withdrawal or isolation from their friends and peers may also be present.

Suicidal Ideation (SI):

Scores on this scale reflect the extent to which a student reports thinking about suicide or engaging In

behaviors associated with suicide attempts. Students with high scores on this scale are likely to have had

thoughts of suicide and may view suicide as a viable solution to their problems. They may also have
formulated a suicide plan or may have attempted suicide in the past. Scores in borderline or elevated

ranges should always be interpreted as requiring a follow-up evaluation.

Substance Abuse ( SA) :

Scores on this scale reflect the extent to which a student is experiencing difficulties in interpersonal skills,

social , academic and vocational functioning as a result of substance abuse. Students with high scores on

this scale may be experiencing guilt or shame about their substance use or embarrassment about behaviors

they engaged in while abusing drugs or alcohol. Discord in relationships with Friends or loved ones

resulting from the use of alcohol or drugs may also be present. Excessive absence from classes or work,

with associated decline in performance, may be a problem for these students.

Self esteem Problems (SE) :

This scale is a measure of general, or global, self- esteem. Students with high scores on this scale tend to

be self-critical and dissatisfied with their perceived skills, abilities, or achievement in comparison to their

peers. They may see themselves as unassertive, excessively sensitive to criticism from others, or

physically or sexually unattractive.

Interpersonal Problems (IP):

This scale measures the degree to which the student has difficulty in relating to others. High scores on this

scale indicate excessive dependence on others and increased vulnerability to vicissitudes of these

relationships , and /or a distrustful argumentative style of relating to others.

Family problems (FP):

The scale measures the extent of family problems which are frequently experienced by college students.

Students with high scores on the scale may be experiencing difficulty achieving emotional separation

from the families and living to live more independently. High scores may also indicate body or concern

over problems occurring in a conflicted family.

Academic Problems (AP):

Scores on the scale reflect the extent to which the student experiences difficulties in academic

performance. Students with high scores on the scale are likely to suffer from poor study skills,

Insufficient use of time, and poor concentration ability.

Career Problems (CP):

This kid measures difficulties in setting career goals and in making the decisions instrumental to career

goal attainment. High scores on the scale suggest that the student is experiencing anxiety or worry in

selecting an academic major or future career . Difficulty in selection may be related to a lack of

information about choices, undifferentiated career interests, or an absence of clear career goals.

Reliability

The 18I-item CAS was administered to 224 college students enrolled at four universities located in the

Southeastern United States.Approximately 32% of the sample were male and 68% were female. Of the

224 students, 76% were white, 12% were black, 6% were Hispanic, and 2% were other ethnic group

members.Of the sample, 34% indicated that they were currently receiving counseling services·for

personal, academic reasons or career concerns, 38% indicated that they had received counseling services

for personal , academic, or career concerns in the past but were not currently receiving services. and 22%
indicated that they had never received counseling services . A total of 6% of the sample did not respond to

this question.Internal consistency reliability coefficients (Cronbach, 1951) were calculated for each CAS

scale.Corrected Item-total correlation coefficients for every item in a scale were examined along with the

relationship of each item to gender, ethnic, group and social desirability.

108 items were selected to comprise the CAS. with each scale consisting of 12 items. Internal

Consistency reliability coefficients for this final version were from 0.80 to 0.92 and the mean of 0.86.

Validity

Evidence for the convergent and discriminant validity of the CAS was examined in four validation studies

(Reed, 1991). These studies were conducted on independent samples obtained at 33 counseling centers

throughout the United States and utilized a multitrait-monomethod research design. Results showed that

all CAS scales except Substance Abuse and Career Problems, had large positive correlations with the

State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Beck Hopelessness Scale

(BHS). Correlations of the CAS Anxiety and Depression scales with the STAI, BDI and BHS were quite

similar to correlations of the STAI, BDI and BHS with each other- STAI correlated 0.78 and 0.76 with the

BDI and 0.57 and 0.56 with the BHS respectively. In the second study, the CAS Anxiety, Depression,

Suicidal Ideation, Self-esteem Problems, Interpersonal Problems and Academic Problems were all

correlated highly with Neuroticism and the majority of its facet scales in NEO- PI Neuroticism scale. The

third study focused on examining the validity of the CAS Career Problems and Academic Problems

scales.It was found that there was a positive correlation between CAS Career Problems and Academic

Problems, and Career Decision Scale (CDS; Osipow, 1987), with its coefficients being 0.72 and 9.62

respectively.

Standardization Sample
Normative data were collected from 1146 students enrolled in colleges and universities throughout the

United States. Care was taken to select participants in a way to ensure that the sample contained adequate

proportions of students in each undergraduate class year and reflected the national college enrollment

proportions according to gender and ethnic group classification. Of the 1146 students in the

standardization sample, approximately 38% were males and 61% were females. Ages ranged from 17 to

35 years with a mean of 21.51 years and a standard deviation of 4.95 years. Approximately 25% of the

sample were freshman, 18% were sophomores, 31% were juniors, 22% were seniors and 2% were

graduate students. Ethnic group composition was approximately 75% white, 9% black, 6% Hispanic and

10% other ethnic groups.

Review of literature

A study was conducted by Schwitzer , Moss , Pribesh , John , Burnett , Thompson ,Foss in the year

2018 on the topic College Counseling Experiences and Academic Success. The research evaluates college

counseling experiences and academic outcomes. The result illustrates that participating in counseling was

beneficial to academic success .In comparison to their peers who either did not continue therapy after

their initial visit or were referred off campus, those students who visited the counseling facility and

subsequently stayed in counseling as advised were more likely to see their GPA rise and graduate.

Attending more sessions seems to provide bigger advantages.

A study was conducted by Can, Ahmet; Poyrazl, Senel; Pillay, Yegan in the year 2021 to explore the

influence of adjustment problems on the level of psychological well-being of international college

students in the U.S. Research Methods . The research evaluates a sample of international college students

(N =145) aged 18 to 41 using the Michigan International Students Problem Inventory (MISPI), and the

Scale of Psychological Well-Being (SPWB) . The data was analyzed using Pearson product-moment

correlation analysis, descriptive statistics, and regression analyses . The results indicated that adjustment
problems negatively correlated with psychological well being. As the students' level of adjustment

problems increased, their level of psychological well-being decreased. The results also showed that the

top three areas rated by international students as causing adjustment problems among the 11-adjustment

problem domains were: (1) "English language problems" (M = 0.81, SD = 0.53); (2) "financial aid related

problems" (M = 0.77, SD = 0.50); and (3) "admission-selection" (M = 0.76, SD = 0.46).

A study was conducted by Jailani, Othman; Adli, Tahrir; Amat,Che; Othman, Masturah; Deylami, Neda;

Rahim, Abdul in the year 2020 . The study investigates the self-perceived problems among Malaysian

pre-university students in a public research university in Malaysia. The research evaluates a sample of

278 pre-university students selected using simple random sampling . The results indicated that the level of

problems faced by pre-university students is low.The main problems faced by the pre-university college

students are related to their future-vocational and educational, followed by adjustment to school work,

personal-psychological relations, moral and religion, social-psychological relations, health and physical

development, home and family, curriculum and teaching procedures, social and recreational activities,

finance, living conditions and employment, and finally, courtship, sex and marriage issues. The study also

highlights the importance of considering guidance and counseling services to assist pre-university

students to ensure that these self-perceived problems will not affect their emotional and academic

achievement.

Objectives

● To find the need for counseling in college students

● To propose an intervention model to help deal with the problems

Present study
The aim of the study was to explore the needs for counseling and propose an alternative intervention

model amongst undergraduate students of Daulat Ram College and to compare these needs among first

and third year students .The College Adjustment Scales (CAS) which is an inventory used in the study.

The CAS was created as a quick way to assess college students for common developmental and

psychological issues. The CAS is scored and profiled in terms of 9 CAS scales which are Anxiety (AN),

Depression (DP), Suicidal Ideation (SI), Substance abuse (SA) , Self esteem Problems (SE) ,

Interpersonal Problems (IP) , Family Problems (FP), Academic Problems (AP) and Career Problems (CP)

.The study will assist in understanding the problems in various areas across all dimensions.

Method

Sample

A group of non-probability sampling techniques known as “purposive sampling” was used for our

research. In purposive sampling, the researcher selects individuals that are believed to be representative

of the population or have important characteristics that are relevant to the research question. This

sampling method is often used when the population is small and the research study has a specific focus or

purpose. Females from Daulat Ram College , University of Delhi , age group 18-22 years were included

in the study. A total of 65 females participated in the study where 26 females (40%) are first year

undergraduate students and 39 females ( 60% ) are third year undergraduate students..

Material Required

● CAS Booklet

● CAS Answer Sheet

● Pen/Pencil

● Notebook
Rapport Formation

Prior to beginning data collection, the researcher took several steps to establish a positive rapport with the

participants to break the ice. First, the researcher explained the purpose of the study and how the data

collected would be used. The researcher also ensured that participants understood that their participation

was voluntary and that they had the right to withdraw from the study at any time. In addition, the

researcher made an effort to build rapport with participants by engaging in casual conversation before and

after the data collection session. This helped to create a relaxed and comfortable environment and allowed

participants to become more at ease with the researcher. Finally, The researcher thanked the participants

for their participation and provided them with contact information in case they had any further questions

or concerns.

Instructions

The College Adjustment Scales (CAS ) must be administered after an introduction and instructions.

Additionally, there are a few considerations that need to be made when giving the test which are : The

testing environment should be relatively quiet, free from distractions and adequately illuminated. The

CAS ‘s standardized instructions are simple and must be given to the participants.

Procedure

The items of the CAS are contained in a reusable item booklet. An Informed consent was taken before the

conduction of the study. Briefing and debriefing was given to the participants . Confidentiality of the

participants was also maintained. Students enter responses on a separate answer sheet. Responses are

made using a 4- point scale which assesses the accuracy with which an item applies to the student.

Completion of the CAS takes approximately 15-20 minutes: CAS scale scores can be calculated and

profiled in 3-4 minutes. The CAS can be administered in either individual or group testing situations. The
testing environment should be relatively quiet. free from distraction, and adequately illuminated. When

administering the CAS to groups of students, the testing environment should not compromise the

confidentiality of the student responses . It was administered to the participants - 2 first year students and

3 third year students from Daulat Ram college . Instructions were given to the participants before

administration . After administration , the participants were asked 2 questions which were , “Do you think

you are facing any problems in your life ?If yes, what are those areas?” , “Do you think you need

counseling ? If not , will you be willing to take counseling in case a need arises ?” and the responses were

collected.

Data and Analysis

The data were analyzed using student's t-tests by first year students and third year students. For the

individual tester, the raw scores were converted into T- score.

Table 1

Depicting mean , standard deviation and p value of first and third year students.

1 st year 3rd year p value

(n=26) (n= 39)

Dimensions Mean SD Mean SD -

AP 24.3 5.51 23.8 7.15 0.63

CP 23.74 9.08 27.33 10.35 0.17

AN 25.26 8.82 28.92 9.74 0.20

 SI 18.30 6.47 19.57 8.05 0.88

IP 24.25 8.82 26 6.45 0.64

DP 21.63 6.92 23.31 7.34 0.70

FP 25.23 7.34 21.25 6.70 0.80

SE 26.46 7.29 28.08 6.99 0.92

SA 13.96 4.13 14.77 4.04 0.44

Figure 1

Bar graph depiction of table of table 2

Mean scores of 1st year and 3rd year on CAS

Qualitative analysis

Table 2

Themes in participants’ responses to “Do you think you are facing any problems in your life ?If yes,

what are those areas?”

Problem Areas Frequency of responses

Sleeping issues 1

Academic 7

Career 7

Family and interpersonal issues 5

Depression and Loneliness 2

Self doubt 1

Self confidence 3

Pressure of disappointing people 1

General stress and anxiety 3

Self discipline and lack of focus 2

 No problem 9

Figure 2

Bar graph depiction of Table 3

Table 3

Themes in participants’ responses to “ Do you think you need counseling ? If not , will you be willing

to take counseling in case a need arises ?”

 Approaching a counselor Frequency of responses

Will go 20

Won’t go 8

Interpretation

The study was carried out on 65 female undergraduate students of 1st and 3rd year of Daulat Ram College

to understand problem areas of young emerging adults by assessing college adjustment scale for them .

Anxiety dimension reflects the extent to which the student is currently experiencing the physical and

psychological correlates of anxiety. High scores indicate a high likelihood of having tight muscles.

enhanced alertness and scanning of their surroundings, as well as symptoms of autonomic hyperactivity

including quick and shallow breathing. The first year students obtained a mean higher than the third year .

The SD of first year was lower than the third year students . This indicates that first year students

experience a greater Anxiety as compared to the ones in their third year .

Depression dimension reflects the degree to which a student experiences physical and psychological

correlates of depression. High scores on this scale. High scorers on this measure are more likely to

experience chronic or easy exhaustion and to have lost interest in or enjoyment from previously

pleasurable activities. Such students frequently experience depression and a sense of helplessness.The

first year students obtained a mean lower as compared to the counterparts in 3rd year .The SD of first year

was lower than third year students .This indicates that third year students experience a greater level of

depression as compared to the first year students.

Suicidal Ideation reflects the extent to which a student thinks about suicide or engaging in behaviours

associated with suicide attempts. Students who score highly on this measure are likely to have thought

about suicide and may believe that it is a legitimate option for solving their difficulties. The first year

students obtained a mean lower than the third year obtained . The SD of the first year was also lower than

the 3rd year. The scores indicate that third year students experience a high level of suicidal thoughts.

Substance Abuse dimension reflects the effect the extent to which a student is experiencing difficulties in

interpersonal , social , academic and vocational functioning as a result of substance abuse .Students who

scored highly on this measure might be feeling guilty, ashamed, or embarrassed about their substance use

or the actions they took while misusing drugs or alcohol. have thought about suicide and may believe that

it is a legitimate option for solving their difficulties. The first year students obtained a mean lower than

the third year .The SD of first year is higher than the third year students . This indicated that third year

students experience a high level of problems due to substance use .

Self esteem problems dimension is a measure of general, or global self esteem.Students who score highly

on this measure have a tendency to be critical of themselves and unsatisfied with their perceived

accomplishments or capabilities in comparison to their classmates. They can consider themselves to be

passive. physically or sexually unappealing, or overly sensitive to the opinions of others.The first year

students obtained a mean lower than the third year obtained . The SD of first year was higher than third

year students . This indicates that third year students experience a high level of problems related to self

esteem.

Interpersonal Problems reflect the degree to which the students have difficulty in relating to others.High

scores may indicate an unhealthy reliance on others and an enhanced susceptibility to the ups and downs

of these interactions.The first year students obtained a mean of 24.25 whereas the third year obtained a

mean of 26 . The SD of first year and third year students are 8.82 and 6.45 respectively. This indicates

that third year students experience a high level of interpersonal problems.

Family Problems reflect the extent of family problems which are frequently experienced by college

students.Students who score highly on this scale may have trouble learning to live independently and
separating emotionally from their families. High scores can also be a sign of stress or concern about

issues arising in a turbulent or contentious relationship.The first year students obtained a mean higher

than the third year . This indicates that first year students experience a high level of family problems.

Academic Problems dimensions reflect the extent to which the student experiences difficulties in

academic performance. High scorers on this scale are more likely to struggle with bad study habits,

ineffective time management, and poor focus..The first year students obtained a mean higher than the

third year . The SD of first year was lower than the third year students .The scores indicate that first year

students experience difficulties in academic areas.

Career Problems dimensions reflect difficulties in setting career goals and making decisions in career goal

attainment.High scores on this scale imply that the student is anxious or concerned about choosing a

major in school or a future profession. The first year students obtained a mean lower than the third year

students. The SD of first year students was lower than the third year students .

According to table 3 the majority of the students face no problem or the problems faced by them are not

as severe as regarded as a problem. Academic and career related problems are mostly faced by the

students in their life followed by family and interpersonal issues.

Table 4 depicts participants’ responses to “ Do you think you need counseling ? If not , will you be

willing to take counseling in case a need arises ?” The response depicts that 30 % (20) participants are

willing to go to a counselor if the need arises and 12% ( 8 ) will not go to the same . However , some

responses also suggest that participants are willing to a counselor only if it's free.

Discussion

Self analysis:

Suicidal ideation was identified as the most prevalent issue by the self-administered college adjustment

scale, with a T score of 71 and a raw score of 28. Family problems, which had a raw score of 29 and a
matching T score of 63 and 90 percentile, was the second most problematic issue. Self-esteem came next

with a raw score of 25 and a T score of 77. The results could be explained by the possibility that

final-year students are experiencing career-related issues for a variety of reasons, including a lack of

clarity on their future goals and a lack of job experience, which may be the cause of their suicidal

tendencies. The dimension (substance abuse) has the lowest raw score, 15 and T score of 54 .

Group analysis :

Two additional qualitative questions were included in the research to better understand the issues facing

undergraduate female students at Daulat Ram College and their need for counseling in order to construct a

feasible intervention that would address their needs. The responses to the inquiry "Do you believe you are

experiencing any challenges in your life? If so, what are those areas? " showed that there were several

areas where the students had issues, including with their studies, careers, families, focus, concentration,

mood states, and self-esteem. The above-mentioned issues that the students were experiencing were all

analyzed thematically to create themes. However, the majority of the pupils claimed to be completely

problem-free . The top 2 most significant problem areas were issues with academics and careers, with a

greatest frequency of 7 for each.

"Do you believe that you require counseling? If not, are you willing to seek counseling if the need arises?

Based on the participants' responses, two of them are currently receiving counseling, two are certain they

will only do so if it is provided without charge, and one is unsure whether to consider it an option. The

majority of the participants (=20) were quite certain of taking counseling in times of need, while some

(=8) were opposed to doing so.

65 female participants were given the CAS, and the data collected was subsequently compiled for a

quantitative study. To assess and categorize the problem dimension in terms of its predominance and to

distinguish between first-year and third-year college students, standard deviation, mean values, and values

were calculated for each dimension, and the results were compared. It is clear from looking at the SD

scores and mean values that third-year students are, on average, more likely to encounter challenges in
relation to each component. With the exception of familial problems and academic challenges, third-year

students are shown to have mean values that are higher for each problem or dimension compared to

first-year students. Self-esteem is the most common issue faced by third-year college students, as

indicated by the mean score being the highest in the SE dimension. This may be because of the ongoing

pressure of academics, career decisions, and general competition as this is the time when many students

experience a transition from a more structured high school environment to the more open-ended and

competitive world of college, which can frequently cause anxiety for the students.

Other significant problem areas included career with a mean score of 27.33, anxiety with a mean score of

26.92, and interpersonal relationships with a mean score of 26. In addition to the preeminent self-esteem

issues seen in third year undergraduate female students.Third-year undergraduate students frequently

struggle with self-esteem issues, professional issues, anxiety, and interpersonal issues. The following are

some potential causes of these problems.

Self-esteem problems:Due to a variety of causes, third-year undergraduate students may battle with poor

self-esteem. They might feel inadequate or unworthy in comparison to their classmates, encounter

academic or interpersonal setbacks, or suffer pressure to do well in their studies or future careers, for

instance.

Career problems: Students in their third year may have uncertainty about their career path or a lack of

focus in terms of their professional ambitions as they get closer to graduation. As they worry about

landing a job after graduation and successfully transitioning into the workforce, this can lead to stress and

anxiety.

Anxiety: Due to the demands of their future job ambitions, social ties, and academic expectations,

third-year students may feel more anxious than usual. They can be concerned about not doing well

enough, failing to live up to others' expectations, or failing to accomplish their objectives

Interpersonal problems: Third-year students may experience interpersonal problems such as difficulty in

forming and maintaining relationships with peers, romantic partners or family members.
They could have trouble setting boundaries or communicating effectively.Overall, when first-year

undergraduate students adjust to a new environment, forge new relationships, and negotiate their own

identities, they are going through substantial life upheavals. To control their anxiety, form positive

relationships, and boost their self-esteem, it is crucial that they enlist the aid of friends, family, and mental

health experts. Universities and colleges can also offer resources like counseling services and support

groups to assist students in overcoming these difficulties.

Intervention

Cognitive behavior therapy could be found beneficial in career related problems. Career fears can be

treated at their source with CBT, which will enable you to advance professionally. As a method of career

counseling, CBT will assist you in understanding current behaviors and attitudes that can hinder your

career and in learning coping and communication skills to develop positive habits that support your

professional aspirations. The study conducted by lim et al in the year 2010 on the topic “ the effects of a

cognitive behavioral therapy on career attitude maturity , decision making style and self esteem of nursing

students in korea.” The study evaluated a sample of nursing students, following the informed consent

procedure, twenty participants were randomly assigned to an experimental group, and 20 were assigned to

a control group. The cognitive-behavioral therapy consisted of 8-sessions and was implemented for 60

min during an 8 week period.After treatment with cognitive-behavioral therapy, the experimental group

significantly increased in the mean score for career attitude maturity, self-esteem compared to the control

group, especially for confidence and independence. In conclusion, cognitive-behavioral therapy had a

positive effect for increasing the career attitude maturity and self-esteem for nursing students .

Conclusion
The third year students face more career related problems as compared to the first year students because

of their uncertainty about their career path or a lack of focus in terms of their professional ambitions as

they get closer to graduation .

References

Can, A., Poyrazli, S. and Pillay, Y. (2020) Eleven types of adjustment problems and psychological

well-being among international students.

Can, A., Poyrazli, S. and Pillay, Y. (2020) Eleven types of adjustment problems and psychological

well-being among international students.

Jailani, O. et al. (2020) The self-perceived problems among Malaysian pre-university students:

Implications for college counseling.

Ji Young Lim a et al. (2010) The effects of a cognitive-behavioral therapy on career attitude maturity,

decision making style, and self-esteem of nursing students in Korea .

Schwitzer, A.M. et al. (2018) Students with mental health needs: College counseling experiences and

academic success, Journal of College Student Development.