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Published on: July 10, 2017
[Promoting psychosocial well-being in adolescence. A controlled study]
Fedra Ottolini1, Chiara Ruini, Carlotta Belaise
1Dipartimento di Psicologia, Universita di Bologna, Italy. fedra.ottolini@unibo.it
A school-based program effectively boosted psychological well-being and personal growth in adolescents. This intervention also significantly reduced distress, including anxiety and somatization symptoms, in high school students.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Educational Psychology
- Adolescent Health
Context:
- Adolescence is a critical period for developing positive aspects like quality of life and social functioning.
- Schools provide an optimal environment for fostering learning and holistic human development.
- Existing literature highlights the importance of positive psychological aspects in adolescents.
Purpose:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of a new school-based program for promoting psychological well-being.
- To compare the School Well-Being Therapy (WBT) intervention against an attention-placebo control group.
- To assess the impact of the intervention on psychological well-being and distress in high school students.
Summary:
- A randomized controlled trial involved 227 high school students across nine classes, assigned to either the WBT intervention or an attention-placebo.
- Psychological assessments, including the Symptom Questionnaire (SQ), Psychological Well-Being Scales (PWB), and Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS), were administered pre- and post-intervention, and at six-month follow-up.
- The WBT intervention demonstrated significant improvements in Personal Growth (PWB) and reductions in distress, specifically somatization, physical well-being, and anxiety (SQ, RCMAS).
Impact:
- The school-based WBT program is effective in enhancing positive emotions and psychological well-being among adolescents.
- The intervention successfully decreased psychological distress, notably anxiety and somatization, in the student population.
- Findings support the integration of well-being programs within school settings to support adolescent mental health and development.
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