Management of Stress and Enhancement of Self-Efficacy in Adolescents through Positive Therapy
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Date
2007-04-07
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Abstract
From Good Shepherd International School, Ooty, Tamil Nadu, 100 boys and
100 girls studying in X and XII standards were screened using the Case Study
Schedule (Hemalatha Natesan, 2005), S.I. (Hemalatha Natesan and Nandini Menon,
2002) and General Self-efficacy (RalfSchwarzer and Matthias Jerusalem, 1993). Out
of them, 150 students, 75 boys and 75 girls with 'Very High '/ 'High' Stress and 'Low'
Self-efficacy were selected. The I, II and III Monthly Test marks of the students were
converted into percentages and were taken for Academic Achievement Assessments I,
II and III respectively. The psychological intervention called, Positive Therapy
(Hemalatha Natesan, 2004) was given to all the subjects. All the four strategies of
Positive Therapy namely, Relaxation Therapy, Counselling, Exercises and
Behavioural Assignments were applied. Positive Therapy was given thrice a week, on
alternate days, for eight weeks. The duration of each session was one hour. The
results showed that the major causes of Stress reported by the entire sample were
heavy academic work pressure and strict rules and regulations. Initially, the entire
sample had 'Very High ' Stress. But after the administration of Positive Therapy, for 8
weeks, the entire sample had Low' Stress. There was a signIcant reduction in the
mean Stress from 'Very high' to 'Low' level, proving the efficacy of Positive Therapy
in the management of Stress. Initially, the entire sample had 'Low' General Selfefficacy.
After the therapy, there was a sign/Icant enhancement in the level of
General Self-efficacy from 'Low' to 'Moderate' in Assessment II to 'High' in
Assessment III, indicating the beneficial effects of Positive Therapy in the
enhancement of General Self-efficacy. There was a statistically signfIcant mean
dlfference in Academic Achievement between Assessments I and III and II and Ill,
proving the efficacy of Positive Therapy.