The Impact of University Counsellors' Roles on the Psychological Well-being of Higher Education Students in Minjiang University, Fujian Province
(1) Department of Education and Society, Institute of Science Innovation and Culture, Rajamangala University of Technology Krungthep, Bangkok, Thailand
(2) Department of Education and Society, Institute of Science Innovation and Culture, Rajamangala University of Technology Krungthep, Bangkok, Thailand
(*) Corresponding Author
Abstract
This study examined psychological well-being challenges among students at
Minjiang University, China, and the impact of university counselors' roles. Data
from 242 students, collected via questionnaires and interviews, revealed that
academic pressure (81.8%), career uncertainty (68.2%), financial strain (58.7%),
family/cultural expectations (52.9%), and social isolation (39.3%) were key
stressors. While informal support networks (74.4%) were widely used, 28.1%
employed maladaptive coping strategies like avoidance. University counselors
significantly improved psychological well-being: students attending ≥5 sessions
exhibited 30% higher resilience (M = 4.3 vs. 3.1, *p* < 0.001), while counseling
users reported stronger stress management (M = 4.1 vs. 2.4, *p* < 0.001) and life
satisfaction (M = 3.9 vs. 2.6, *p* < 0.001). These outcomes were linked to
counselors' provision of mindfulness techniques and problem-solving strategies.
However, 32.2% noted gaps in cultural sensitivity, particularly in addressing
familial pressures. The findings underscore the need for culturally tailored
training and expanded service access to optimize counselors' effectiveness in
supporting student well-being.
Keywords
Full Text:
PDFReferences
Brown, R., & Rainer, J. (2020). The role of university counseling services in promoting student well-being. Journal of College Student Development, 61(3), 301–312.
Chen, L. H. (2018). Mental health challenges faced by international students: A review of the literature. Journal of International Students, 8(1), 78–94.
Diener, E., Lucas, R. E., & Oishi, S. (2017). Subjective well-being: The science of happiness and life satisfaction. World Psychiatry, 16(3), 243–252.
Dyrbye, L. N., Thomas, M. R., & Shanafelt, T. D. (2006). A systematic review of depression, anxiety, and other indicators of psychological distress among U.S. and Canadian medical students. Academic Medicine, 81(6), 454–461.
Green, A., & Keys, S. (2001). Expanding the developmental university counseling paradigm: Meeting the needs of the 21st century student. Professional School Counseling, 5(2), 84–91.
Harris, A. (2019). Supporting student mental health: The evolving role of counselors in higher education. Psychology in the Schools, 56(9), 1502–1514.
Harris, A., & Lee, M. (2021). Mental health counseling in universities: Addressing stress and promoting well-being. Journal of College Counseling, 24(1), 65–76.
Keyes, C. L. M. (2002). The mental health continuum: From languishing to flourishing in life. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 43(2), 207–222.
Khin, M. K. (2025). An Exploration of Five Mettā Principles Depicted in Pāļi Cannon and Commentaries with Respect to Foundation of Mettā Development. Journal of Social Innovation and Knowledge, 1(2), 247259. https://doi.org/10.1163/29502683-bja00010
Lazarus,(1984).Stress appraisal, andcoping.Springer.
Lei, X., Liu, C.,& Jiang,H.(2021).Mental health of college studentsand associated
factors
in
Hubei
of China.
PLOS
ONE,
(7),
e0254183.
Lin, J., & Chen, X. (2020). Socioeconomic status and academic stress among ruralto-urban
migrant
students
in
Chinese
universities.
Journal
of
Educational
Psychology,
(1),
–101.
McLafferty,
M.,
Keane,
T.,
&
O'Connor,
R.
(2019).
The
mental
health
of
university
students:
A
review of literature. Journal of Student Affairs Research and
Practice, 56(2), 123–137.
https://doi.org/10.1080/19496591.2018.1470003
Misra, R., & McKean, M. (2000). College students' academic stress and its relation
to their anxiety, time management, and leisure satisfaction. American
Journal of Health Studies, 16(1), 41–51.
Muhammad, M. (2025). Hamka's Thought in Tafsir Al-Azhar: Between
Acculturation and Rejection of Local Culture. Journal of Social Innovation and Knowledge, 1(2), 226-246. https://doi.org/10.1
Williams, E., & Smith, A. (2022). Burnout and mental health in higher education students: The protective role of psychological well-being. Journal of Health Psychology, 27(4), 482–495.
Article Metrics
Abstract view : 21 timesPDF - 9 times
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
Copyright (c) 2025 English Language and Literature International Conference (ELLiC) Proceedings
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Electronic ISSN: 2579-7263
CD-ROM ISSN: 2579-7549
Published by
FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE
UNIVERSITAS MUHAMMADIYAH SEMARANG
Jl. Kedungmundu Raya No.18 Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia
Phone: +622476740295, email: ellic@unimus.ac.id
