Research Article
The Well-being of Vietnamese Adolescents: The Role of School-related Factors
Tra Thi Thanh Kieu*
Issue:
Volume 14, Issue 4, August 2025
Pages:
98-107
Received:
13 June 2025
Accepted:
30 June 2025
Published:
22 July 2025
Abstract: The well-being of Vietnamese adolescents is an increasingly important topic, especially within the context of rapid educational and societal changes. Adolescent well-being includes multiple dimensions, such as mental health, emotional resilience, and quality of social relationships. This study aimed to assess the well-being of Vietnamese adolescents within the context of ongoing educational reform, focusing on the impact of school-related factors. Using a cross-sectional quantitative design, data were collected from 2150 high school students across Vietnam. In this study, adolescent well-being was measured using the EPOCH Measure of Adolescent Well-being, while friend satisfaction, school satisfaction and perceived teacher support were measured as three key predictors. The findings revealed that, overall, students reported moderately high levels of well-being, with Optimism and Connectedness receiving the highest ratings, suggesting that Vietnamese adolescents tend to feel hopeful about the future and maintain strong social bonds. Regression analyses revealed that perceived teacher support was the most significant predictor of adolescents’ well-being, followed by friend satisfaction and school satisfaction. These factors taken together explained 35.3% of the variation in adolescent well-being. The findings highlight the pivotal role of the school social environment—particularly teacher and peer relationships—in shaping adolescent well-being. As Vietnam continues to reform its education system, these findings point to the need for policies and practices that strengthen supportive relationships within schools to promote adolescent mental health and well-being.
Abstract: The well-being of Vietnamese adolescents is an increasingly important topic, especially within the context of rapid educational and societal changes. Adolescent well-being includes multiple dimensions, such as mental health, emotional resilience, and quality of social relationships. This study aimed to assess the well-being of Vietnamese adolescent...
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Review Article
The Precarious State of Educational/School Psychologists in Cameroon: Confronting Title Usurpation, Systemic Role Confusion, Structural Amateurism and the Quest for Legitimacy
Siméon Boris Nguéhan*
Issue:
Volume 14, Issue 4, August 2025
Pages:
108-122
Received:
4 June 2025
Accepted:
23 June 2025
Published:
30 July 2025
Abstract: This article critically examines the precarious state of educational/school psychology in Cameroon through a conceptual framework defining the educational psychologist (EP) or school psychologist (SP) as a specialist in learner well-being, academic support, and evidence-based interventions. SP roles lack statutory recognition despite ministerial policies acknowledging student support needs. Title usurpation proliferates, with unqualified personnel (teachers, spiritual guides, social workers) impersonating EPs/SPs due to regulatory voids, eroding service credibility and risking learner welfare. Concurrent systemic role confusion blurs professional boundaries: SPs are frequently conflated with teachers (focused on pedagogy), guidance counsellors/spiritual guides (prioritising academic/moral advice), and social workers (addressing socioeconomic barriers), diluting specialised mental health interventions. Structural amateurism compounds these issues, stemming from: 1) absent specialised SP training programmes; 2) difficulties adapting Eurocentric psychological models to Cameroon’s sociocultural realities; and 3) professional isolation limiting knowledge exchange. The consequences are severe: learners face unmet psychological needs affecting academic outcomes; the education system lacks standardised support frameworks; and the SP profession battles eroded legitimacy. To address this, we propose: 1) statutory regulation via a national professional association; 2) specialised SP training through university programmes; and 3) structured supervision networks. Crucially, Cameroon’s state university Departments of Educational Psychology are pivotal in driving solutions by: a) designing accredited SP curricula integrating local cultural competencies; b) delivering continuous professional development; and c) promoting a unified professional identity distinct from allied roles. Without these reforms, Cameroon’s SP field will remain fragmented, perpetuating amateurism and failing its educational community.
Abstract: This article critically examines the precarious state of educational/school psychology in Cameroon through a conceptual framework defining the educational psychologist (EP) or school psychologist (SP) as a specialist in learner well-being, academic support, and evidence-based interventions. SP roles lack statutory recognition despite ministerial po...
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Research Article
Self-compassion, Self-esteem and Test-anxiety Among Students Preparing for the University Admission Exam
Issue:
Volume 14, Issue 4, August 2025
Pages:
123-135
Received:
30 June 2025
Accepted:
15 July 2025
Published:
13 August 2025
DOI:
10.11648/j.pbs.20251404.13
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Views:
Abstract: Introduction: There is a paucity of information on the contribution of self-compassion and self-esteem to strategies used to cope with anxiety difficulties in times of distress, such as preparing for university entrance examinations for students in Greece. This study applied tests to better understand adolescents’ views on their motivations to participate in the nationwide examinations for entrance into Greece's state universities, their coping strategies during their preparation, and their reaction to a potential failure. It was expected that students’ anxiety would be related to self-compassion and self-esteem regarding their gender. Methods: This cross-sectional, mixed methods study was based on statistical and thematic analysis conducted on data consisting of the information respondents were asked to provide regarding their studies (favorite lesson, where they like to study, orientation, and first time participation in exams) and their attitudes towards the exams. One hundred thirty-two (132) High School senior students participating in the Pan-Hellenic Examinations (81 females and 51 males) (M = 3.11, SD = 0.76), aged from 17 to 18 years old, where volunteered for the present study. Results: Most of the participants (75%) believe that they are going to succeed in the exams and showed greater test-anxiety (t = 2.580, df = 129, p =.011), but also greater self-esteem (t = 4.106, df = 129, p = .001), greater self-compassion (t = 3.013, df = 129, p =.003), greater self-kindness, (t = 2.299, df=129, p = .000), greater common humanity (t = 2.416, df = 129, p = .017), and greater mindfulness (t = 2.466, df = 129, p = .015), than participants who answered that they are not going to succeed. Those who predicted their failure showed greater self-judgment (with no statistical significance, (p>0.005), greater isolation (t = -2.713, df = 129, p =.032), and greater over-identification (t = -2.013, df = 129, p = .046) than their counterparts. Overall, male participants (M=3.4, SD= .74) exhibited higher test-anxiety scores than female participants (M=2.93, SD= .74). Conclusions: Gender differences significantly influence self-compassion and self-esteem having a vast impact on anxiety.
Abstract: Introduction: There is a paucity of information on the contribution of self-compassion and self-esteem to strategies used to cope with anxiety difficulties in times of distress, such as preparing for university entrance examinations for students in Greece. This study applied tests to better understand adolescents’ views on their motivations to part...
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