A School-Based Psychological Counseling Support Model for Primary and Secondary Students: Needs, Barriers, and Implementation Pathways
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54097/cfmqg083Keywords:
School Counseling, School Mental Health, Primary and Secondary Students, Psychological Counseling, Multi-Tiered Support, Implementation Science, ChinaAbstract
Student mental health is increasingly understood as an educational concern because psychological difficulties are associated with learning, attendance, peer relationships, school adjustment, and longer-term development. Although schools can provide accessible settings for prevention, early identification, counseling, referral, and coordinated support, school-based psychological counseling is often implemented through fragmented activities rather than through a coherent support system. This article develops a concise school-based psychological counseling support model for primary and secondary students through an integrative framework synthesis of school mental health literature, international guidance, implementation science, and evidence from the Chinese school context. The synthesis indicates that student needs are ecological, developmental, educational, and equity-related. Key implementation barriers include limited help-seeking, stigma, role ambiguity, uneven workforce preparation, weak screening-to-intervention pathways, fragmented collaboration, insufficient data use, and sustainability challenges. The proposed Integrated Ecological Multi-Tiered Counseling Support Model links universal mental health promotion, systematic identification, tiered counseling, referral and crisis response, family-school-community collaboration, data-informed improvement, and workforce development. The model offers a practical framework for moving from isolated counseling activities toward coordinated whole-school support.
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