Single-session counselling for self-stigma-seeking psychological help and distress among Pakistani students; a pre-test–post-test

This study employed an experimental pre-test–post-test design without randomised control or paired-control groups to assess the effectiveness of a single-session counselling in reducing self-stigma-seeking psychological help and distress symptoms (depression and anxiety) in students transitioning from school to college and from college to university during their educational career. The intervention was conducted in a well-known private clinic for mental health located in a big city in Pakistan on a sample of 76 students in transition phases (newly admitted to college or university) from various colleges and universities in Pakistan. Participants completed the Self-Stigma of Seeking Help Scale (SSOSH) and the Kessler psychological distress scale (k6) for distress symptoms. The single-session counselling resulted in significant reductions in self-stigma and distress symptoms as indicated by changes in SSOSH and K6 scores before and after the counselling session. Future research should consider randomised controlled trials to validate these findings.