The Role of Counselors in Preventing Drug Abuse in Adolescents: A Systematic Literature Review

Drug abuse remains a serious social and public health problem in Indonesia, with adolescents representing the most vulnerable group. As a transitional developmental stage marked by biological, psychological, and social changes, adolescence is characterized by identity exploration, high curiosity, and susceptibility to peer influence, all of which increase the risk of engaging in deviant behaviors, including drug abuse. In this context, school counselors play a strategic and multidimensional role in prevention efforts. This study employed a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) design following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines to synthesize empirical research published between 2019 and 2024. A total of 20 peer-reviewed articles indexed in Sinta, Scopus, and Google Scholar were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify key patterns related to counselors’ roles and effective intervention strategies. The findings indicate that counselors’ roles in drug abuse prevention can be categorized into three main dimensions: primary prevention, secondary prevention (early intervention), and tertiary prevention (rehabilitation and reintegration support). Counselors contribute through drug education programs, life skills training, cognitive-behavioral and humanistic counseling approaches, early detection of risky behaviors, and collaboration with families, schools, and external institutions such as the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) and health agencies. The effectiveness of these roles depends on counselors’ professional competence, institutional support, family involvement, and cross-sector collaboration. However, challenges remain, including limited training, time constraints, stigma, and insufficient policy support. Overall, the study highlights counselors as agents of social change who play a crucial role in strengthening adolescents’ psychological resilience and fostering a healthy, drug-free school environment through systematic, empathetic, and collaborative approaches.