Group Therapy Among the Adolescents - Research Paper Example

Group Therapy among the adolescents affiliation Introduction Group psychotherapy is a field of practice that majors with the use of psychological means to treat emotional or mental conditions. In group therapy, the psychotherapist controls the patients’ emotions, discus and tackles challenges in an assembly of more than two participants, the situation, and sessions. The groups’ organization is especially good for dealing with relationship problems; it provides a safe zone to practice, learn, and appreciate new behaviors, which effect a lasting positive change. Adolescent counseling groups focus on particular issue or a collection of problems; these may be educational, personal, or social. This form of group counseling is employed in college counseling departments, schools and communal mental health centers. The therapy on offer in such groups is deals with conscious challenges and does not focus on major personality changes. The adolescent counseling groups are aimed at correcting particular short-term issues and not major behavioral and psychological disorders. This volume intends to present and analyze the effectiveness of Adolescent group counseling. The purpose of this study The recent rise in the number of adolescents engaging themselves in antisocial behaviors have called for speedy scrutiny of the issue and the need to find answers regarding the rise. The majority of the adolescent of whom many are students have failed to meet the expectation of the society and generally failed to effect a productive change (Ames, Richardson, Payne, Smith, & Leigh, 2014). The students have become school dropout, continued to use drugs, and mostly lost interest in taking up the duties and necessary protocols required to elevate eventually their individual lives. This research intends to answer the crucial question of which methods, approaches and strategies professional counsellors and therapist should take to keep the situation in check (Calvo-Muñoz, Gómez-Conesa, & Sánchez-Meca, 2013). This study also aims to review the difference between two forms of interventions employed to correct the current situation with at-risk adolescents groups in rational thinking, attitude to school, social competence, and antisocial behavior. This research further examines whether there is a significant contrast between genders with respect to group work. Literature Review Rational emotive behavior therapy is action oriented. This form of psychotherapy emphasizes on identification, challenge, and replacement of self-defeating thoughts and beliefs with those that are healthier to promote general emotional well-being and achievement of goals. This form of therapy underwent invention and development by Dr. Albert Ellis in 1955. REBT did formulate it from a theoretical reasoning and belief that irrational and illogical thinking patters were the source of emotional disturbances. REBT is an action-oriented psychotherapy that teaches individuals to identify, challenge, and replace their self-defeating thoughts and beliefs with healthier thoughts that promote emotional well-being and goal achievement. Dr. Albert Ellis developed REBT in 1955. Ideas of the same nature date back as long as the first century B.C when stoic ancient philosophers suggested that things did not bother a person but from the views they take of them. They further suggested that the external events did not affect emotional bother but it was all about the individuals’ perception and conclusions about the particular events that bring negativity to peoples’ lives. There have been numerous studies in this particular issue with the results bearing very similar conclusions to this very study at at-risk adolescents are still a very vital part of any school and the whole society as well (MacPherson, Cheavens, & Fristad, 2013). When the adolescents meet in groups, they do interact. There is provision of an atmosphere whose aim is to ensure that there is intrinsic satisfaction. The conduction models of the group therapy determine results and the effectiveness of the therapy among the adolescents. Revealing feelings or self-disclosure is detrimental section, whose effect relies on the trust between the group members. Essentially, any failure to express feelings leads to an ultimate difficulties and depression. The success of group therapy among any adolescent groups will therefore depends upon the nature of the group, the leader, the nature of participation and the activities withheld. One is responsible for that they reveal to the group, immense involvement reaps more benefits. For example, a depressed person can open up all her issues to the group and hence feel better than before; additionally the utilization of group therapy has revealed overhauling benefits than the individual therapy (Marmarosh & Tasca, 2013). Through the art of listening to other people express themselves, one can learn a myriad of lessons such as avoidance of drug addiction, utilization of life skills and the rest. Primarily, research reveals that group therapy among the adolescents has borne more fruits than any other form of therapy (Burlingame, McClendon, & Alonso, 2011). Through interaction, one can learn more about self. Self-discovery is vital in life, as one tends to build his or her esteem. The atmosphere where one feels safe is the best- hence leads to opening up. Every member should respect one another. Eventually, the result of group therapy participation includes an escalation in a feeling of support and connection, lack of criticism and negation towards ones actions and development of hope in life. Additionally, the adolescent victims can have more confidence in trying to come up with possible solutions to their problems and experimenting them. Hypothesis Given enough guidance, motivation and provision of the right and conducive environments adolescents in have the ability to develop self-acceptance. They can be more tolerant of others whom they share diverse cultures and beliefs and truly care about their welfare during all their associations. The young group can also gradually learn to be sensitive about the needs of others (Naumann et al., 2012). Through group, works and settings adolescent groups can develop values and observe their relations with others around them in school situations and their lives’ philosophies. Group counseling can have an impact on adolescents to enable them cope better with their respective struggles of life and make them learn how to take charge on individual personal lives along with making decisions of their own. Group counseling can also affect change in adolescents such that the choices they make come from the conviction that the move is right and not through external influence Methods This study is conducted and compiled through formation and analysis of experimental scenarios using secondary materials. Some of the results gathered relied less upon standardized questionnaires or instruments than it did on administrators and teachers’ observation reports. The research was experimental in nature as it purposed to inspect the cause and effect possibly affected by relationships and exposure to a series of strategically organized events and situations. The study comprised the use of two experimental cohorts who included two groups of eight students, which were of the same pure gender. The study used a form of board game that guided the counseling sessions. A third group of experimental subjects served as a control unit. The variables were thoroughly managed by direct assignment and random control. Much concentration was put on the control of the study so as to obtain maximum values of variance mean scores on the variables of attitude towards school, social competence, antisocial behavior and rational thinking .The study made extra caution in avoiding errors from measurements by way of careful collection and data analysis. More accuracy in the research was achieved from selecting the subjects with good school attendance records and random selection of participants to each of the two experimental frame works. The control group of subjects also received no treatment. There was no bias in the selection of students; all student participants qualified for use in the study by not receiving special academic services at the school (Moore, 1999). The selection exercise was carried out randomly by choosing 36 students from a set of volunteer adolescent students from the school who records reviled good attendance. The volunteers were latter each assigned to either of the two groups in each in the three cohorts with respect to their gender. The groups were further randomly assigned to whether they would lie under REBT counseling group alone, REBT techniques using “Let’s Get rational” or with no treatment at all. To ensure and maximize group session attendance the selected students were picked from those students that recorded the best attendance rates. Procedure of the experiment In the course of the experiment group members under the supervision of a leader explored human feelings. The adolescents were at liberty to discus feelings and the role they played in their individual lives, the members learned to define and classify their emotions and determine which are endangered in various situations. In the second session, the group participants were taught and informed that thoughts caused feelings. They were aware that pleasant thoughts caused feelings of pleasure and vice versa. At this point, the participants were encouraged to relate the experiences with their school. The adolescents identified their own thoughts that caused pleasant and unpleasant feelings in all their experiences at home and at school. The happening-thought-feeling–reaction diagram was employed in analyzing their individual feelings in particular situations and in assisting the analysis of the feelings of other group members (Penttinen & Vesisenaho, 2013). The concept of irrational and rational thought was introduced to the group participants at the fourth session. Examples from the group members were analyzed to determine the character of irrational and rational thinking. A question was asked, “Is there had sufficient evidence to the thought to be ruled rational?”, If there was not, then the thought was ruled as irrational. Such exercises were employed to host discussions of these outstanding points in REBT and in what ways they applied to their lives. Participants were made aware of the anger, frustration, unhappiness, and worthlessness experienced in irrational thoughts. In this session, a connection between dysfunctional behaviors and irrational thinking was established (Moore, 1999). The property of increased individual upset by individual behavior analysis was introduced at the sixth session. The participants got informed of the fact that getting too upset was at no point improving any situation. At this point, the adolescents were helped to appreciate that irrational though brought about emotional upsets, which consequently worsens most situations. On the seventh session, participants pointed negative and positive elements in their individual character and shared among themselves. Here the concept of being good or bad was analyzed. The students were helped to appreciate a different line of thinking; they were brought to the idea that when they feel bad about the teacher or the school, it did not necessarily mean that the school or teachers are all bad. On the eighth session, all focus was pointed upon negative thinking about people and how this thinking bore nothing positive. Much time was spent in stressing that entertaining negative thoughts about school and teachers was irrational because both the school and teachers influence positive qualities. The following session emphasized on the elements of relations and association with others, the members were made aware that when people did not share common view of things or disagreed with them, it did not mean that those people were worthless, foolish, or bad. Members were taught that in events when disputes arouse it never made any sense to be upset, angry or behave in antisocial manners. It never meant that if people disagreed with you they should undergo punishment and learn to respect other people’s opinions. Members were shown that it was irrational to conclude people were bad or good because of how frequently they make mistakes (Moore, 1999). In the final session, the group participants were given assumptions that could form foundations of their individual beliefs. The adolescents were taught that some things they base their beliefs upon might be all wrong assumptions. Examples beliefs were analyzed based on what they were founded on. The members defined the term belief as a strong conviction that something is true. The students further defined an assumption as a belief that was very likely to be true. When individuals believe that some is actually true and in actual sense, it is not, the scenario is referred to as unsound assumptions. Much work was done in a bid to alter unsound assumptions about teachers and school and trying to replace them with other assumptions that lay their foundation on facts Results The social disorder of the adolescents having antisocial behaviors was seen to have been corrected through group counseling. Some of the students who had very bad records with discipline changed tremendously. The participants changed their attitudes towards others and the view of discipline as a virtue. They began to see that it did no harm for people to be obedient, and it did not show that one was weak if they were disciplined. There had no relationship whatsoever between the gender in question and the condition of having antisocial conduct. The issue of social competence was also not associated with gender. The experimental subjects revealed a significant change in their level of competence in their individual activities. 96% of the parents of the adolescents that participated in the study had observed very positive changes in their children who previously were not very productive in bringing out results. They reported a very commendable progress in performance (Moore, 1999). After the conclusion of the lengthy exercise, which lasted for five weeks, the majority of the participants improved and almost perfected their level of tolerance to others. Some of the independent observers confessed to hardly knowing and believing that, that particular adolescent was not pretending. The subjects showed a great deal of understanding and respect for other people’s opinions. They generally gave other people the space to express themselves without reprimanding or punishing them for not being in agreement with them or their ideologies. After the completion of the ten sessions, the adolescents showed a very positive appreciation of the issue of rational thinking. This group of adolescents employed critical thinking in their dealings and took time before they settled on decisions. The subjects also revealed a trend of making personal decisions without the need for external influence. Some of the subjects showed high extents of rational thinking higher than previously expected for their respective ages and brains development. When the study was closing and coming to completion, the number of adolescents who had fully changed their attitudes towards teachers and school was 94% of the total sample space. These students had all lost the negative attitude towards school and teachers as a group of people to cause terror and viewed them as friendly people who are there to impact positive change. The group counseling had turned out to be very efficient in correcting and properly orienting the attitudes and feelings of these affected students Conclusion The data and information collected in the study heavily stand in support of the hypothesis made earlier that adolescent have the ability and capacity to be better members of the society. They can be their very own mentors and engineers of their live if their situation is handled in the best and correct methodology. For this case, group counseling is seen to be the best and most effective tool to change their negative thoughts, perceptions, and attitudes towards a certain aspect of the society Usefulness of this study As proven by the experimental results, group counseling can be a very effective tool to correct social disorders. This mode of therapy has the capacity to alter behaviors, lines of thinking, beliefs, and attitude not only of adolescent groups in the society but also other challenged individuals of the society. Group counseling, when used in any form of setting, provides an effective laboratory from where maintenance and enhancement of skills are achieved. The young and tender age and period where adolescents define themselves and get their identity; this comes with development of value, systems that influence the course and adolescents’ life will take. One of the most vital concerns of life at this stage should be to build on positive success and to form a character that appreciates positive values and having the best moral conduct. The findings of this research should be actively used to correct any adolescent situation that in all cases should be achieved irrespective of the cost (Paddock, Hunter, & Leininger, 2014). The use of group therapy such as the one used to achieve the findings of this research should be made a common practice. This findings will go a long a in doing away with self-doubt and changing behavior, attitudes and beliefs of the adolescent groups who are a vital part of the society at large . All professional counselors will greatly make positive progress and changes in their respective areas if they apply this method of therapy to give guidance and correct certain conditions. This method is surely an effective method as this is not the first time it has been proven a success in psychotherapy applications aimed to correct conditions (McEvoy & Saulsman, 2014). References Ames, C. S., Richardson, J., Payne, S., Smith, P., & Leigh, E. (2014). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression in adolescents. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 19, 74–78. doi:10.1111/camh.12034 Burlingame, G. M., McClendon, D. T., & Alonso, J. (2011). Cohesion in group therapy. Psychotherapy (Chicago, Ill.), 48, 34–42. doi:10.1037/a0022063 Calvo-Muñoz, I., Gómez-Conesa, A., & Sánchez-Meca, J. (2013). Physical therapy treatments for low back pain in children and adolescents: a meta-analysis. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 14, 55. doi:10.1186/1471-2474-14-55 MacPherson, H. A., Cheavens, J. S., & Fristad, M. A. (2013). Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Adolescents: Theory, Treatment Adaptations, and Empirical Outcomes. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review. doi:10.1007/s10567-012-0126-7 Marmarosh, C. L., & Tasca, G. A. (2013). Adult attachment anxiety: Using group therapy to promote change. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 69, 1172–1182. doi:10.1002/jclp.22044 McEvoy, P. M., & Saulsman, L. M. (2014). Imagery-enhanced cognitive behavioural group therapy for social anxiety disorder: A pilot study. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 55, 1–6. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2014.01.006 Moore, B. A. (1999). The Efficacy Of Group Counseling Interventions Employing Short-Term Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy In Altering The Beliefs, Attitudes, And Behaviors Of At-Risk Adolescents (Doctoral dissertation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University). Naumann, F., Munro, A., Martin, E., Magrani, P., Buchan, J., Smith, C., … Philpott, M. (2012). An individual-based versus group-based exercise and counselling intervention for improving quality of life in breast cancer survivors. A feasibility and efficacy study. Psycho-Oncology, 21, 1136–1139. doi:10.1002/pon.2015 Paddock, S. M., Hunter, S. B., & Leininger, T. J. (2014). Does group cognitive-behavioral therapy module type moderate depression symptom changes in substance abuse treatment clients? Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 47, 78–85. doi:10.1016/j.jsat.2014.02.005 Penttinen, L., & Vesisenaho, M. (2013). Career repertoires of IT students: A group counselling case study in higher education. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance, 13, 203–215. doi:10.1007/s10775-013-9252-0  Read More