Screening-Based Eco-Psychology Program to Improve Environmental Behavior and Psychological Well-Being Among Pesantren Students

Abstract

Background: Pesantren environments with high population density often face challenges related to waste management, hygiene behavior, and students’ psychological well-being. Ecopsychology-based interventions integrating religious and environmental values are still limited in Indonesian Islamic boarding schools.. Purpose: This program aimed to implement an ecopsychology model in a pesantren setting to improve ecological behavior and psychological well-being among students. Methods: The program was implemented for eight months involving 170 students, 13 teachers, and 30 senior students as environmental cadres. Activities included ecopsychology socialization, 3R-based waste management training, deployment of an automatic composter, establishment of Environmental Ambassadors, and psychosocial education with relaxation therapy. Evaluation consisted of behavioral observations, ecological practice assessments, and psychological well-being scores using Ryff’s instrument. Results: Significant improvements were recorded in environmental behavior: waste sorting increased from 20% to 82%, room cleanliness from 56% to 90%, routine hygiene participation from 64% to 95%, and composting ability reached 70% of students. Psychological well-being improved across all dimensions, notably environmental mastery (+48%), purpose in life (+35%), and positive relations (+26%). Conclusion: Ecopsychology-based pesantren programs effectively internalize religious values into sustainable ecological practices while improving students’ psychological well-being. The model is feasible, replicable, and relevant for Islamic educational institutions.