Evaluating the efficacy of short-term counseling on adolescents in a school setting

This study evaluated the efficacy of short-term school-based counseling with forty-two high school adolescents (twenty-seven males, fifteen females) by measuring pre- and posttest scores on a self-report, self-esteem measure. While there was a significant decline in self-esteem ratings after counseling in the areas of social acceptance, job competence, and close friendship, counseled students showed a significant improvement in the consistency between their adequacy ratings and their judgments about what competencies they valued. Specific gender differences emerged, as females appeared to have benefited more from the counseling experience than did males.