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.

ABSTRACT
This study investigated influence of job demand on mental health among police first responders in Benue State, Nigeria, using 365 active-duty officers drawn from the Benue State Police Command through multistage sampling techniques. A Mental Health Inventory-38, was used to assess psychological distress and well-being, and the Job Demand subscale of the Job Content Questionnaire, comprising 5 items measuring psychological workload, time pressure, and role conflict. Simple linear regression analysis demonstrated that job demand exerted a significant positive influence on mental health challenges (β = .279, p < .001), with the model incorporating related occupational factors, explaining approximately 64.2% of the variance in mental health scores. Elevated job demands, particularly excessive workload, prolonged shifts, repeated trauma exposure, and resource constraints amid ongoing insecurity, were strongly associated with poorer mental health outcomes, including heightened risks of anxiety, depression, burnout, and posttraumatic stress symptoms. These results align with the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) framework and underscore the urgent need for evidence-based interventions such as workload management, trauma debriefing, and organizational support to mitigate occupational stressors and enhance resilience in high-risk policing environments like Benue State.

ABSTRACT
Introduction: Sexual violence is a widespread problem that can occur in any setting. Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) training was developed to improve individual’s behavioral control when encountering situations related to sexual violence. This study applies PSEA training as an educational intervention using a Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) approach to enhance perceived behavioral control, defined as an individual’s perception of their ability to perform a behavior. Aims: This study aims to determine the effect of the PAL method in PSEA training on changes in perceived behavioral control among academicians at Universitas Nusa Cendana. Method: A quasi-experimental two-group pretest–posttest design was conducted involving 78 students and staff selected through quota sampling. Participants were divided into a tutor group (n = 27) and a tutee group (n = 51). Perceived behavioral control was measured using a questionnaire based on the Theory of Planned Behavior by Fishbein and Ajzen. Data were analyzed using the Friedman test for the tutor group and paired-sample t-test for the tutee group. Results: The tutor group showed a significant improvement in perceived behavioral control (p = 0.018) with a weak effect size (Kendall’s W = 0.150). The tutee group demonstrated a highly significant improvement (p < 0.001) with a large effect size (Cohen’s d = 0.933). Conclusion: PSEA training implemented through the PAL method significantly improves perceived behavioral control among academicians at Nusa Cendana University.

ABSTRACT
There have been previous studies on emotions in general but few discussed emotions in terms of paradoxical friendship and enmity of the day in my setting. In this article, the authors endeavored to discuss emotions as friends and enemies of the day. The ability to regulate both positive and negative emotions is associated with various outcomes, including mental and physical health. The study examined how regulating positive and negative emotions interact and affect mood, life satisfaction, and health. The authors employed various areas (emotions as friends and enemies; confrontation, forgive, forget; less is more; happiness and challenges; peace and imperfection; what is thinking with emotions; and emotion paradox) to discuss “Viewing Emotions Paradoxically as My Friends and Enemies of the Day.” The discussions demonstrated that the ability to regulate negative emotions was linked to the overall mood, life satisfaction and health while positive emotions relation ability was related to negative mood and mental as physical health. The ability to regulate negative emotions more than positive ones was also more strongly tied to the mindfulness and attention control. Emotions are central components of individuals’ lives, both interpersonally, intra-personally and emotional experiences can have powerful impacts on their function both positive and negative. This discussion takes into account the role of positive and negative emotions in a person experience, motivation, and psychological adjustment. While positive and negative emotions are necessary for survival and well-being, both possess unique functions and underlying mechanism. Positive emotions like joy, gratitude etc. tend to broaden an individual’s attention and understanding, facilitating the formation of enduring personal and social resources, and fostering resilience. Negative emotions like anger, fear, sadness and guilt evolved with specific thought-action tendencies that narrow attention and serving as signals