Student Self-Regulation Needs Inventory (SSRNI): A DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) Based Tool for Student Counselors to Identify Students' Self-Regulation Needs

In various regions of India, universities and colleges face challenges in providing effective counseling services due to difficulties in identifying the needs of the students, providing need-based Counseling services, demonstrating benefits to the stakeholders and limited awareness. To address these issues, the Student Self-Regulation Needs Inventory (SSRNI) was developed, aiming to evaluate the psychological, biological, and social needs of College students using DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) - based domains. This study included students from colleges in Rajasthan and TamilNadu, involving the formulation of assessment items based on inputs from Experts. A total of 549 students completed the questionnaire, and a test-retest analysis was conducted with a subset of students. The SSRNI questionnaire addressed self-regulation categories like Depression, Dependency and Study skills, adapted from established tools, aligned with DSM-5 criteria. The SSRNI exhibited strong internal reliability (alpha coefficient of 0.853) and construct validity. The SSRNI is a valuable tool for enhancing counseling services. This tool responds to the regional challenges and limitations in counseling services, ultimately benefiting students' well-being and the efficacy of counseling efforts.