ABSTRACT
According to Perez, guidance is a process where an individual receives support to make decisions, solve problems and achieve personal goals. It is about providing direction and helping the individuals use their skills and resources effectively. Hahn emphasizes that guidance focuses in helping individuals navigate life choices and challenges, helping them maximize their potentials. Maclean defines counseling as a process in which a trained professional helps individuals to explore their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to resolve personal issues and improve their emotional well-being. Gustad’s definition also emphasizes the interpersonal relationship in counseling, where the counselor helps the counselees to understand their issues and develop coping strategies for personal growth. Counseling psychology is a specialized field that integrates psychological theory with therapeutic practice to enhance personal and interpersonal functioning across the lifespan. Guidance in simple terms means to direct or provide assistance to someone who needs helps. Counseling refers to professional services provided to individual facing problem and needs to overcome the problem. Counseling is considered to be integral and central part of guidance. Individuals with emotional and behavioral problems are in a dilemma whether to go in for counseling psychology or guidance and counseling. The aim of both is to help the individuals to achieve their goals by addressing their problems therapeutically to have peace, wholeness, and personal growth. The study revealed that those who embraced counseling psychology obtained satisfaction, as well as those individuals who made use of guidance and counseling services. Counseling psychology is a distinct specialty within the broader discipline, focused on human strengths, healthy functioning, and person-environment interactions. The exposition aimed to provide a global perspective on the profession, outlining its development and core pillars: a focus

ABSTRACT
Deviant behavior refers to actions, thoughts, or reactions that violate established social norms, rules, or expectations within a given cultural context (Becker, 1963; Lemert, 1967/2019). It ranges from mild nonconformity to serious criminal acts and is often shaped by poor family orientation and socialization, peer influence, and psychological factors that necessitate professional intervention such as counselling (Akers, 2004; Bandura, 1977). Crime represents a formal subset of deviance, involving violations of codified laws and punishable by the state (Didwal, 2021). This paper examines deviance and chronic criminality through an integrative lens that foregrounds offender psychology, socialization processes, labeling dynamics, and the reactionary cycle of recidivism (Silver, 2021). Drawing on sociological and psychological theories, the authors argue that habitual deviance is multifactorial; emerging from the interaction of individual traits, early socialization, and environmental contexts (Wheeler, 1961; Kituse, 1962). The paper further explores how stigma and institutional responses may reinforce deviant identities, particularly in educational and correctional settings, thereby undermining rehabilitation and social reintegration (Goffman, 1963; Valenty, 2021).

ABSTRACT
Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a severe psychiatric disorder characterized by profound metabolic, psychological, and social dysfunction, and current biomedical and psychotherapeutic interventions achieve long-term recovery in only a subset of patients. Despite advances in understanding its neurobiological and psychosocial mechanisms, a substantial proportion of patients develop chronic, treatment-resistant illness. Since conventional medical models may not fully account for the persistent refractoriness observed in severe cases, this suggests that additional explanatory frameworks may be required. Emerging interdisciplinary research and clinical observations indicate that spiritual and karmic factors, as described in Buddhist traditions, may play a contributory role in illness persistence and recovery. Therefore, this study integrates Buddhist worldviews with clinical case analysis to explore the karmic and spiritual dimensions of severe AN. We present a Dharma dialogue elucidating potential spiritual mechanisms and a detailed case of recovery following intensive Buddhist practices. The findings suggest that Buddhist interventions may serve as meaningful complementary strategies for refractory AN, supporting a more integrative biopsychosocial–spiritual model of care.

ABSTRACT
Moral development during middle school years is critical as children begin to form independent values and judgments that shape their social and emotional growth (Kohlberg, 1984). It is also known as the foundation for ethical behaviour, social responsibility, and character formation (Damon, 1988; Lickona, 1991). Traditional moral education often emphasizes memorization, which may limit deeper reasoning skills (Kohlberg, 1976; Narvaez, 2002). The present study examines the effectiveness of moral stories in enhancing moral reasoning among middle school children. A pre-test post-test experimental design was employed with 50 students aged 11-13 years, using a standardized moral reasoning questionnaire to measure changes before and after the intervention. The intervention included moral stories from cultural and folk tradition followed by interactive discussion and reflective activities. This design promotes critical thinking and independent moral judgement. Results indicated a statistically significant improvement in students’ moral reasoning post-test scores (p value <0.01). The findings highlight the potential of storytelling-based modules as an effective approach to strengthen children’s moral reasoning. The study concludes with recommendations for future research on moral storytelling interventions.

ABSTRACT
The authors investigate an individual’s mental state to determine at which stage it is considered a significant component of psychopathology. Psychopathology is the scientific exploration of abnormal mental states that, for more than a century, has provided a Gestalt for psychiatric disorders and guided clinical and scientific progress in modern psychiatry. In the wake of immense technical advances, however, psychopathology has been increasingly marginalized by neurological, genetic, and neuropsychological research. This ongoing erosion of psychiatric phenomenology is further fostered by clinical casualties as well as pressured healthcare and research systems. The skill to precisely and carefully assess psychopathology in a qualified manner used to be a core attribute of mental health professionals. Today’s curricula, however, pay increasingly less attention to this training, thus further blurring the border between pathology and variants of the "normal." Despite predictions that psychopathology was doomed to be replaced by neurobiological parameters, psychiatric diagnosis continues to rely exclusively on psychopathology in the DSM-5. The authors discuss hatred, affects, drives, and temperaments as channels for grasping a deep comprehension of the complex concept of psychopathology. This article highlights the need to combine biological, psychological, and social perspectives, presenting a framework using complexity theory to explain psychopathology as dynamic patterns of biopsychosocial interactions.

ABSTRACT
Mental health encompasses the emotional, psychological, and social dimensions that influence decision-making, relationships, and the ability to navigate everyday environments. Among police first responders who are the initial law enforcement personnel who arrive at emergency scenes to secure areas, assess risks, and provide immediate aid before specialized teams arrive, mental health challenges are particularly pronounced due to disproportionate exposure to traumatic events, including violence, accidents, and human suffering. In regions plagued by conflict and insecurity, such as Benue State, Nigeria, these officers face chronic occupational stressors that significantly elevate risks for mental health disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety. This paper adopted the cross-sectional study to examine the influence of social support on mental health among 365 police first responders in Benue State, Nigeria. Data were collected using two validated instruments: The Mental Health Inventory-38 (MHI-38) and the social support subscale of the Job Demand-Control Questionnaire, which assessed levels of support from friends and family members. Multiple linear regression analysis was employed to test the hypothesis, revealing a significant positive influence of social support on mental health among police first responders in Benue State, Nigeria (R² = .642, F(2, 362) = 161.087, P < .050), with social support emerging as a positive predictor of mental health (β = .155, t = 1.965, P = .050). These findings highlight the protective role of social support in high-risk occupational environments and advocate for peer-led interventions to enhance resilience among police first responders. Limitations of the study include potential self-report bias and the cross-sectional design. Future research should explore longitudinal methods to better understand the long-term dynamics of social support and mental health in this population.

ABSTRACT
Depression among higher education students is a growing concern, impacting academic performance, social interactions, and overall well-being. This study explores the prevalence and effects of depression among students in higher education institutions in West Bengal. This study explored depression among higher education students from Undergraduate (UG) and Post Graduate (PG) students focusing on gender, habitat, family type, and income, using a survey of 198 students. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) is used to collect data. Results indicated higher depression in females and urban students. The study reveals distinct patterns in depression levels across demographic variables. Female students exhibit higher rates of mild to severe depression compared to males, who predominantly report minimal depression. Rural students are more prone to moderate and severe depression, while urban students largely experience mild depression. Family structure shows differing effects: nuclear families are associated with higher mild depression, whereas joint families show more moderate depression. Income status also influences outcomes, with low-income groups reporting more mild depression, while medium- and high-income groups show greater minimal depression. Severe depression, however, remains relatively stable across income levels. Overall, gender, habitat, family type, and income significantly shape depression levels among students. These results emphasize the urgent need for mental health interventions and policy recommendations to support student well-being. The study contributes to the growing body of literature on student mental health in India and provides actionable insights for educators and policymakers.