No abstract

Objectives In this study, the difficulties experienced by university counselors while performing tasks aside from counseling and the contents of education and assistance that they need from the academic society were investigated. Methods 91 counselors who are currently working or had experience working at university counseling centers participated in the survey. The results were analyzed through qualitative content analysis. Results Results of the analysis are as follows: (1) University counselors were struggling in areas such as ‘administrative and university evaluation paperwork’, ‘working in additional positions’, ‘crisis management and referral’, ‘requests for non-counseling interventions’, and ‘violation of counseling ethics and expertise.’ (2) Their educational needs included ‘report preparation and research’, ‘program development and evaluation’, and ‘student counseling center management.’ (3) The assistance needs from academic associations were ‘preparing guidelines for the management of university counseling centers’, ‘protecting the role and rights of counselors’, and ‘counseling education for university members’. Conclusions With these results, suggestions for future tasks and roles that academic associations should meet were discussed.

To comprehensively explore the school counseling experience of sexual and gender minority (SGM) youths in South Korea, we interviewed 14 SGM youths about their school counseling experience and the climate of their schools toward SGM. Results showed that a hostile school climate and the accessibility, confidentiality, trustworthiness, and LGBTQ competency of school counselors drove the reluctance of these youths to receive school counseling services. Implications for the role of school counseling services for SGM youths were discussed based on the findings of this work and the suggestions offered by the interviewed SGM youths.

Background: In face of the COVID-19, South Korea has provided the ‘Global Golden Standard’ of containment effort. Mandatory quarantine, one of the core policies in place, has proven its efficacy in ensuring public health. Nonetheless, no previous study has examined the policy’s comprehensive impact on its subjects. In addition to providing an account of holistic subjective experience of quarantine, this study also examines the socioecological factors’ influence on the subjective experience by applying the Bronfenbrenner’s model. In order to gather unconstrained information in relation to the contextual background, Consensual Qualitative Research method was used. 17 adults of Korean nationality were interviewed about their experience.Results: 10 categories within four domains of Subjective experience were found: (a) changed life style because of quarantine, continued pre-quarantine life, lasting effect of quarantine in Lifestyle domain; (b) Physical health domain with no subcategory; (c) discomfort, infection anxiety, accepting, satisfying, and gratitude within Psychological Experience domain; and (d) suggestion and change of perspective within Reflection domain. Next, 13 categories of socioecological factors belonged to four different levels of domain: (a) personality and belief in Within-individual domain; (b) quarantine space, personal relationship, coresident, student status, and employment status in Microsystem; (c) Korea’s quarantine policy, maintenance, resources, and abroad’s preventive measure against COVID in Exosystem; and (d) stigma and social responsibility in Macrosystem.Conclusions: The reported subjective experiences of self-quarantine were not uniformly negative or positive, which is unlike previous research findings that were dominantly negative. Identifying socioecological factors that shape an individual’s quarantine experience shed light onto how the government can protect its people from the potential threats of quarantine. The examples include promoting sense of safety through clear and coherent communication about the disease and the measures that are being placed, maximizing opportunities for the subjects to exert control over their lives during quarantine, devising ways to make virtual social connection accessible, and etc.