Rational emotive behaviour therapy in high schools to educate in mental health and empower youth health. A randomized controlled study of a brief intervention

Abstract

Rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT) is effective in reducing distress in several target groups. No other study has tested the mental health effects on adolescents in a high school setting while expanding a Cognitive Behaviour-based therapy, REBT, into the concept of mental health literacy. The format of the ABC model, which is an important element of REBT, functioned as a working manual in and between three sessions. This study tested whether knowledge and practical use of the ABC model increased self-esteem and hope, and reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression, and dysfunctional thinking. Sixty-two high school students with subclinical levels of anxiety and depression were randomly allocated into three groups; three individual REBT sessions, or three individual attentional placebo (ATP) sessions or no sessions (control). However, dysfunctional thinking, self-esteem and hope were not measured in the control group. Repeated measures with ANOVA and t-tests were conducted. Both REBT and ATP significantly reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression, but only REBT was significantly different from the control group at the six-month follow-up. Only REBT significantly reduced dysfunctional thinking, and both REBT and ATP significantly increased self-esteem and hope. REBT had both an immediate and a long-term effect. The findings show the potential positive effects of educating well-documented psychological techniques as ordinary education in school. Further research might contribute to decide whether or not to change the school system by enclosing mental health literacy classes for all students.

A rational emotive behavior therapy-based intervention for binge eating behavior management among female students: a quasi-experimental study

“…First, after completing the REBT-based binge eating behavior management program, the experimental group had a significantly higher self-esteem score than the control group, thereby providing evidence for effectiveness of this program. Previous findings of Saelid and Nordahl [ 58 ], who applied a short three-session program using the ABC model of REBT, support our findings. However, our results are in contrast with the result of a previous study, where a cognitive behavioral program did not effectively increase self-esteem in female undergraduates [ 59 ], although that program’s effectiveness may have been impacted by its inclusion of a cognitive restructuring intervention in only one out of the eight sessions (specific methods were not included in the report of the earlier study).…”

Building Resilience: The Conceptual Basis and Research Evidence for Resilience Training Programs

“…The majority (90%) of studies identified some theoretical background for their intervention, with 22.6% based on cognitive-behavioral theory (Bragard, Etienne, Merckaert, Libert, & Razavi, 2010; Castro, Adler, McGurk, & Bliese, 2012; De Vente et al, 2008; Elliot & Maples, 1991; Flaxman & Bond, 2010; Grime, 2004; Hains, Davies, Parton, Totka, & Amoroso-Camarata, 2000; Hirokawa, Yagi, & Miyata, 2002; Imamura et al, 2017; Jesus, Miguel-Tobal, Rus, Viseu, & Gamboa, 2014; Litz, Engel, Bryant, & Papa, 2007; Lloyd, Bond, & Flaxman, 2017; Mache, Danzer, Klapp, & Groneberg, 2015; Millear, Liossis, Shochet, Biggs, & Donald, 2008; Pahlevani et al, 2015; Sælid & Nordahl, 2017; Sarason et al, 1979; Songprakun & McCann, 2012; Steinhardt & Dolbier, 2008; Tak, Kleinjan, Lichtwarck-Aschoff, & Engels, 2014; Williams et al, 2007), 16.1% based on some form of resilience theory (Abbott, Klein, Hamilton, & Rosenthal, 2009; Adams, Camarillo, Lewis, & McNish, 2010; Adler et al, 2015; Bradshaw et al, 2007; Carr et al, 2013; Fraser & Pakenham, 2008; Griffith & West, 2013; Lester et al, 2012; Lester et al, 2013; Loprinzi, Prasad, Schroeder, & Sood, 2011; Peng et al, 2014; Rose et al, 2013; Sood, Sharma, Schroeder, & Gorman, 2014; Waite & Richardson, 2004), 16.1% based on stress management theory (Bodenmann, Perrez, Cina, & Widmer, 2002; Cigrang, Todd, & Carbone, 2000; de Jong & Emmelkamp, 2000; Edimansyah, Rusli, & Naing, 2008; Jacobsen et al, 2002; Jacobsen et al, 2013; Krischer, Xu, Meade, & Jacobsen, 2007; Maysent & Spera, 1995; Öztürk & Ocakçı, 2017; Pipe et al, 2012; ...…”

“…62% of selected articles were randomized controlled trials, 19.6% quasi-experimental, 5.4% program evaluations or case studies, 4.3% correlational and 2.2% were either meta-analyses or literature reviews. Less than a third (29%) of articles reported effect sizes (Abbott et al, 2009; Arnetz et al, 2008; Bragard et al, 2010; Cacioppo et al, 2015; Grant, Green, & Rynsaardt, 2010; Heber, Lehr, Ebert, Berking, & Riper, 2016; Horn, Gilbert, Gilbert, & Lewis, 2011; Imamura et al, 2017; Jennings et al, 2013; Jesus et al, 2014; Johnson et al, 2014; Lester et al, 2012; Litz et al, 2007; Lloyd et al, 2017; Luthans, Avey, Avolio, & Peterson, 2010; Luthans, Avey, & Patera, 2008; McGonagle, Beatty, & Joffe, 2014; Millear et al, 2008; Pahlevani et al, 2015; Pidgeon et al, 2014; Sælid & Nordahl, 2017; Songprakun & McCann, 2012; Sood et al, 2014; Storch, Gaab, Küttel, Stüssi, & Fend, 2007; Umanodan et al, 2009; Villani et al, 2013). Articles of a variety of methodologies were included to give a complete picture of the research being done around resilience and psychological interventions.…”

The Effectiveness of Training Based on Rational-Emotional-Behavioral Therapy on Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy

“…The disturbance was improved, 48 persons responded better to their problems, 58 persons stated that have disturbance feeling, 26 persons have found more risk ability, 23 persons stated that success in their days' affairs and 24 persons showed their feelings and reactions. 26 Turner and Barker found that than REBT decreased irrational believes and cognitive anxiety among cricket athletes, 27 18 Wood et al, 28 Saelid and Nordahl, 29 Kim et al, 30 and Xu and Liu. 31 In explaining this study, it can state that REBT by Ellis pays attention to persons interpretation way about life situations in creating mental problems, this attitude assumes that cognition, emotion and behavior effect upon each other significantly.…”