Islamic Guidance and Counseling Journal

The Associations Between Prior Abuse Experiences and Causal Attributions for Intimate Partner Violence Among Service-Attending Husbands in Jordan

Shooroq Maberah — 2026-02-14

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant public health issue in Jordan, yet research on perpetrator cognition remains limited. While prior abuse is a known risk factor, its association with how perpetrators explain their own violence specifically through causal attributions is underexplored in this context. This study aimed to examine the associations between prior abuse experiences and causal attributions among service-attending husbands in Jordan who have perpetrated IPV. A descriptive correlational design was employed with a convenience sample of 120 husbands recruited from rehabilitation and judicial services. Participants completed the Abuse Experiences Inventory (AEI) and the Causal Attribution Inventory (CAI), with data analyzed using Pearson correlations. Results indicated moderate levels across all attribution dimensions (internal, external, stable, unstable). Domestic abuse was the most reported prior experience. Weak but statistically significant positive correlations were found between all abuse domains and attribution dimensions (r = .186–.206, p < .05), with the strongest link between domestic abuse and external attributions. These findings suggest a modest association between abuse history and attribution styles, highlighting the potential value of addressing cognitive factors in perpetrator interventions without diminishing personal accountability. The study contributes to a nuanced understanding of IPV perpetrators in Jordan and underscores the need for longitudinal research to clarify these relationships.

Long-Distance Parenting and Family Resilience Strategies of Indonesian Migrant Workers in Taiwan

Muhammad Iqbal — 2026-02-08

This study examines the resilience of Indonesian Migrant Worker (PMI) families in Taiwan and the strategies they apply in long-distance parenting. Using Henry’s family resilience model, it analyzes family risks, vulnerabilities, protection, adaptation, and socio-ecological factors. Data were collected through interviews with 25 PMIs in Taiwan, 25 left-behind children and 25 caregivers in Indonesia. The findings show that migration-related family risks are rooted in structural poverty, gendered labor regimes, and marital disruption, while vulnerability is shaped by low educational attainment, weak communication, and limited caregiving capacity. Religion emerges as a crucial protective resource in transnational family life. Beyond emotional coping, religious values provide moral guidance, sustain parental authority, shape caregiving practices, and support meaning-making across distance through practices such as religious instruction, pesantren-based (Islamic Boarding) care, and faith-informed role modeling. Family adaptation depends not only on individual agency but also on socio-ecological support, including faith-based organizations and migrant networks. The study extends family resilience theory by demonstrating how religion strengthens resilience processes in transnational families and highlights the importance of culturally grounded interventions for migrant family welfare.

A Preliminary Evaluation of Adapted Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Anxiety in Adolescents with Mild Intellectual Disability in Indonesia

Dinda Permatasari Harahap — 2026-03-01

Individuals with mild intellectual disability (MID) experience elevated rates of anxiety that adversely affect emotional well-being and social participation. Although Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is well-established for anxiety in the general population, evidence for its use with individuals with MID remains limited. This case series explored the feasibility and preliminary clinical outcomes of an adapted CBT intervention for anxiety in adolescents with MID. Four adolescents (aged 14 years) with clinically significant anxiety received seven sessions of CBT adapted through simplified language, visual supports, repetition, role-play, and caregiver involvement. Anxiety was assessed at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and follow-up using the Glasgow Anxiety Scale for People with an Intellectual Disability (GAS-ID). Individual change was evaluated using the Reliable Change Index (RCI). Qualitative data from participant worksheets and supporter interviews were analyzed thematically. All participants demonstrated reliable reductions in anxiety symptoms that were maintained at follow-up. Qualitative findings suggested improvements in emotional awareness, social participation, and coping skills. These findings indicate that adapted CBT may be feasible and potentially beneficial for adolescents with MID, warranting further evaluation in controlled studies.

Addressing Academic Anxiety Among Students from Broken Families: Exploring an Islamic Counselling Approach Grounded in Javanese Indigenous Values

Uswatun Marhamah — 2026-02-08

Adolescents from divorced or conflict-affected families in Indonesia often experience academic anxiety rooted in emotional instability and limited family support. This challenge is especially pronounced in Javanese cultural settings, where harmony, acceptance, and spiritual balance are central to well-being. However, research on school counselling in Indonesia remain largely generic, often neglecting these cultural and spiritual dimensions that shape students’ emotional resilience. To address this gap, the present study explores the Junggringan Kawruh Jiwo (JKJ) counselling method, a culturally grounded approach that integrates Islamic spirituality and Javanese indigenous values to support students from broken families in managing academic anxiety. JKJ combines Ki Ageng Suryomentaram’s concept of kawruh jiwa (self-awareness and emotional responsibility), Islamic spiritual practices (dhikr, prayer, and reflection on Qur’anic verses), and Javanese principles (nrimo, ngalah, sabar) into a holistic therapeutic framework. Six students (aged 16-18) from divorced or conflict-affected families and three experienced school counsellors, purposively recruited through school administrations based on their prior work with such students, participated from three vocational schools in Semarang, Indonesia. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, participant observation, and analysis of reflective journals (February-April 2025). Credibility was enhanced through triangulation across data sources and validation via member checking and expert consultation in Javanese cultural and counselling traditions. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, participant observation, and reflective journal analysis between February and April 2025. Credibility was enhanced through triangulation of data sources and verification of interpretations via member checking and expert consultation in Javanese culture and counselling practice. The findings reveal that JKJ counselling enabled students to recognise and regulate anxiety through reflective dialogue, spiritual practices, and culturally resonant exercises promoting acceptance and self-awareness. Counsellors’ empathetic engagement fostered emotional safety and trust. Collectively, these results indicate that JKJ represents a culturally responsive counselling framework with potential to enhance the psychological support available to adolescents from broken families in Indonesia.

Herd Behavior as a Determinant of Students’ Choice of Major to Study in the University

Ferial Alhaj Mahmoud — 2026-03-01

After graduation from secondary school, students face the decision of selecting a university major, which may be influenced by factors beyond personal preferences, including herd behavior. Although previous research has identified various social and contextual influences on major choice, limited attention has been given to herd behavior as a distinct psychological mechanism, and there remains a lack of culturally grounded instruments to measure this construct, particularly within Middle Eastern contexts. The aims of this study were to construct a scale for the herd behavior effect on students’ university major choice (HBMC) and to explore any differences in this effect according to gender and college. A ten-item scale developed by the researcher was administered to a sample of 1,254 students from six universities in Jordan. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the unidimensional structure for the HBMC scale, and its good psychometric properties (α = 0.953). The results also indicated significant gender differences in the herd behavior effect, in favor of males (F = 5.281, df = 1, p < 0.01). These results highlight the importance of psychological and vocational guidance programs to enhance secondary school students’ independent thinking in selecting their university major according to their inclinations, abilities, aspirations, and their plans of professional future, rather than blindly imitating of others.

The Mediating Role of Academic Resilience in the Relationship Between Positive Emotions and Test Anxiety Among Muslim Undergraduate Students

Hamed Samy Ghareib — 2025-11-30

While positive emotions and test anxiety have been extensively studied in educational psychology, the mechanisms linking these constructs remain insufficiently understood, particularly within Islamic higher education. This study investigated whether academic resilience mediates the relationship between positive emotions and test anxiety among Muslim undergraduate students at Al-Azhar University. A cross-sectional design was employed with 300 students (144 males, 156 females; Mage = 20.20, SD = 0.94) from the Faculty of Education, Al-Azhar University, Egypt. Participants completed the Academic Resilience Scale-30, a newly developed 27-item Arabic Positive Emotion Scale, and the Multidimensional Test Anxiety Scale. Mediation analysis using Hayes' PROCESS macro with 5,000 bootstrap samples revealed significant correlations: positive emotions correlated positively with academic resilience (r =.489, p <.001) and negatively with test anxiety (r = -.322, p <.001), while academic resilience negatively correlated with test anxiety (r = -.290, p <.001). The analysis confirmed partial mediation, with positive emotions significantly predicting academic resilience (β =.489, p <.001), which in turn predicted reduced test anxiety (β = -.174, p =.005). The indirect effect was significant (β = -.085), accounting for 26.42% of the total effect, while the direct effect remained significant (β = -.237, p <.001), representing 73.58% of the relationship. Results demonstrate that academic resilience is a partial mediator, with positive emotions operating through direct and indirect pathways to reduce test anxiety. These findings reveal significant associations among positive emotions, academic resilience, and test anxiety, suggesting that these constructs may be potential targets for future anxiety interventions that could integrate immediate positive emotion strategies (e.g., gratitude practices, spiritual mindfulness) and longer-term resilience-building components (e.g., adaptive help-seeking, perseverance development) within Islamic educational frameworks, though longitudinal and intervention research is needed to establish causal relationships and intervention effectiveness.

Social Media, Religion, and Student Mental Health: Associations with Anxiety and Burnout

Aguswan Khotibul Umam — 2025-12-08

Religion can support mental well-being, yet social media exposes students to diverse religious messages whose psychological effects may differ by content type. Prior research often treats religion as a single construct and seldom examines how specific online religious content relates to anxiety and burnout. This study investigated associations between distinct categories of religious content on social media and levels of anxiety and burnout among students at Islamic Higher Education Institutions (PTKI) in Lampung, Indonesia. A quantitative survey of 1,098 PTKI students assessed exposure to five content types: compassion–tranquility, educational, inspirational–motivational, fear–punishment, and ritual–worship. Anxiety and burnout were measured using the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (SAS-A; α=.91) and the Maslach Burnout Inventory–Student Survey (MBI-SS; α=.86). Hierarchical multiple regression tested linear, quadratic, and interaction effects, adjusting for age, institutional type, platform, frequency, and daily duration. For anxiety (final R²=.037), motivational content predicted lower anxiety, whereas fear–punishment—and to a lesser extent educational—content predicted higher anxiety. Compassion–tranquility and ritual–worship were non-significant. For burnout (final R²=.079), the control variables explained most of the variance. Daily social media duration was positively associated with burnout, and platform differences emerged (higher on Facebook, lower on YouTube compared with TikTok). Private PTKI students reported lower burnout than state PTKI students. Although no nonlinear or interaction effects were found for anxiety, burnout showed curvilinear patterns (Compassion²↑, Fear²↓) and buffering by motivational content. Overall, associations between religious content exposure and mental health were small yet consistent. Findings suggest value in promoting motivational, skills-oriented messages, limiting fear-based framing, tailoring content to platform dynamics, and encouraging balanced screen time. Future research should incorporate broader psychosocial factors and longitudinal designs to clarify causal mechanisms.

Numeracy and Growth Mindset Profiles as a Basis for Differentiated Guidance Service in Islamic Schools

Wahyu Setyaningrum — 2025-12-25

Up to present, guidance and counseling (GC) services in Islamic schools tend to be homogeneous, often overlooking the diversity of students’ characteristics. This practice overlooks the effectiveness of differentiated guidance. Key factors worth considering for differentiating guidance services are numeracy skills and growth mindset (GM). In this regard, this study aims to: (1) cluster students based on their numeracy skills and GM with K-means techniques; (2) interpret the clusters’ characteristics; and (3) recommend data-driven GC service strategies. Quantitative method K-means clustering was applied to 321 grade VIII students from Islamic junior secondary schools in two provinces in Indonesia. Data from numeracy test and GM questionnaire were analyzed using the Elbow, Silhouette, Kruskal-Wallis, and Dunn post-hoc methods. The result of the study revealed three student clusters: (1) low numeracy and low GM (Double Susceptible); (2) high numeracy and moderate-to-high GM (Empowered); and (3) low numeracy but high GM (Affective Potential). Findings confirm that numeracy skills and GM do not always align, underscoring the need for integrated cognitive and affective interventions. Significant differences in numeracy skills and GM distribution were found between clusters. The different characteristics between clusters lead to diverse service strategies offered for each cluster. These strategies include a cognitive distortion journaling and belief disputes for double susceptible students; career visualization and leadership simulation for empowered students; and mathematical mindfulness and emotion regulation for affective potential students. Data-driven GC services are crucial in supporting students' academic and psychological development.

The Effectiveness of Character Strengths-Based Peer Counseling in Fostering Psychological Well-Being in Islamic Boarding Schools

Muslikah Muslikah — 2026-01-04

Low psychological well-being and elevated help-seeking behaviors among students in Islamic boarding schools underscore the necessity for effective psychological support systems. This study assesses the effectiveness of a character strengths-based peer counseling intervention in enhancing students' psychological well-being within Islamic boarding school settings. Grounded in the principles of positive psychology and aligned with Islamic educational values, the intervention emphasizes five core character strengths (gratitude, hope, zest, curiosity, and love) delivered through a peer counseling framework. Employing a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design, the study involved 81 first-year students (ages 13-17) from three pesantren in Semarang, randomly assigned to experimental (n = 45) and control (n = 36) groups. The Psychological Well-Being Scale (Ryff, 1989) was used to measure six dimensions of well-being. Data were analyzed via Two-Way ANOVA to evaluate the intervention's impact over time. Results indicated significant improvements in psychological well-being within the experimental group (p < .01), with a notable post-test mean score increase of 13.53 points, interaction effect with η²p = 0.049. This value approaches the moderate category. These findings substantiate that character strengths-based peer counseling is an effective and culturally appropriate intervention for promoting mental health in faith-based educational environments. The study contributes to applying positive psychology in non-Western contexts, emphasizing the potential of peer-led models to enhance adolescents' emotional resilience, interpersonal relationships, and religious character development. The study's limitations and potential directions for future research are also discussed to improve the generalizability and sustainability of the intervention.

Integrating Critical Thinking and Digital Literacy into Technology Acceptance for Online Counseling: A PLS-SEM Study among Muslim University Students

Zadrian Ardi — 2026-01-04

The rapid development of digital platforms has transformed the landscape of counseling services in higher education, creating an urgent need to understand their acceptance, especially among Muslim university students in Indonesia. This study aimed to examine the influence of critical thinking and academic performance on technology acceptance in online counseling, with a focus on the mediating role of digital literacy. Using a quantitative approach, data were collected through purposive random sampling from 815 Muslim university students (49 % male; 51% female) at Universitas Negeri Padang and analyzed using Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The study employed validated scales for critical thinking, academic performance, digital literacy, and technology acceptance, all of which showed high reliability (Cronbach’s alpha > 0.90). The findings supported the proposed hypotheses, showing that both critical thinking and academic performance significantly influenced digital literacy and technology acceptance. Digital literacy also acted as a significant mediator linking these variables to technology acceptance, confirming its central role in the model. These results underscore the importance of fostering digital competence and academic readiness in promoting effective adoption of online counseling services. The study highlights the need for culturally sensitive digital interventions that align with the ethical and spiritual values of Muslim university students.

The Role of Growth-Mindset and Interpersonal Communication in School Well-being: Self-Efficacy as a Mediator among Muslim Students

Wening Wihartati — 2026-01-04

Concerns about the psychological well-being of university students, especially Muslim students in Indonesia and Malaysia, make it important to understand factors that can support their well-being on campus. This study employed a quantitative design with path analysis to test the mediating role of self-efficacy in the relationship between growth-mindset, interpersonal communication, and school well-being. Data were collected from 433 Muslim students (241 from Indonesia and 192 from Malaysia), aged 18–25 years, through purposive sampling. The sample consisted of 89 men and 344 women across different academic years. Four validated instruments were used: the Growth-Mindset Scale (8 items, α = 0.81), Interpersonal Communication Scale (38 items, α = 0.84), Self-Efficacy Scale (17 items, α = 0.88), and School Well-being Scale (43 items, α = 0.89). Data analysis was performed using Hayes’ PROCESS macro (Model 4). The results indicated that growth-mindset and interpersonal communication both positively influenced self-efficacy. However, neither growth-mindset nor interpersonal communication had a direct effect on school well-being. Instead, both factors exerted significant indirect effects through self-efficacy, indicating full mediation. These findings highlight the importance of strengthening self-efficacy by promoting a growth-mindset and enhancing interpersonal communication skills to improve students’ school well-being.

Exploring the Influence of Self-Control, Subjective Well-Being, Happiness, and Life Satisfaction on Prosocial Behavior among Muslim Students in Indonesia

Rifa Hidayah — 2026-01-04

Prosocial behavior voluntary actions intended to benefit others plays a vital role in adolescents’ social skills, emotional well-being, and constructive interpersonal relationships. Adolescents with high prosociality tend to exhibit lower negative emotions and stronger social development. However, limited research has examined this phenomenon among Muslim university students. Guided by Domain Theory, this study investigates the influence of self-control, subjective well-being, happiness, and life satisfaction on prosocial behavior in Indonesian Muslim students. A cross-sectional design with convenience sampling recruited 300 Muslim university students (84 males, 28%; 216 females, 72%) aged 17–24 years (M = 19, SD = 1.23). Participants completed the Prosocial Tendencies Measure (PTM), Brief Self-Control Scale (BSCS), BBC Subjective Well-being Scale (BBC-SWB), Orientation to Happiness Scale (OTH), and Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), all adapted to the Indonesian context with acceptable reliability. Data were analyzed using multiple linear regression. Results showed that subjective well-being (β = -0.169, p = 0.031) and happiness (β = 0.498, p = 0.000) significantly influenced prosocial behavior. Self-control (β = -0.058, p = 0.333) and life satisfaction (β = 0.119, p = 0.081) showed no significant effect. Indonesian Muslim students who reported higher levels of subjective well-being and happiness were more likely to engage in prosocial behavior. However, the research model hasn’t optimally explained the relationship between variables, as there are still other factors that can influence them.

Gratitude as Social Capital of Happiness: Working Wives’ Perceptions of Husbands’ Social Support in the Islamic Marriage Context

Sururin Sururin — 2026-01-14

In Indonesia, rising dual-income families increase potential marital conflicts, yet few studies explore how Islamic psychological perspectives (happiness and gratitude) explain marital resilience. This highlights the urgency of examining wives’ perceptions of husbands’ support and its impact on gratitude. This study aims to examine the influence of wives’ happiness and husbands’ social support on gratitude among working Muslim wives. Employing a cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach, this study specifically involved married, moslem, working women with children as the study's population. Sampling was done by non-probability sampling technique where the number of samples in the study was 225 married Muslim working women with children. The instrument in this study uses the adoption of the Gratitude Questionnaire (GQ-6, α = 0.82), Husband’s Social Support Scale (32 items, α = 0.91), and Islamic Happiness Scale (18 items, α = 0.88) and analysis with multiple linear regression (SPSS 22). All instruments were validated through expert judgment and pilot testing. Regression analysis confirmed that both happiness (β = 0.128, p = 0.004) and husband’s social support (β = 0.743, p = 0.000) significantly predicted gratitude (R² = 0.648). These findings support the study hypotheses and demonstrate the role of emotional and relational factors as social capital in sustaining marital harmony within an Islamic framework. Good interpersonal relations, as shown through the attitude of gratitude of husband, and wife, are social capital in achieving happiness.