The Effect of Model-Based Group Counseling on the Resiliency of Disadvantaged Adolescents from Poor Areas of China: A Single-Blind Randomized Controlled Study

Poverty in the long run, as the long-term source of pressures, has strengthened the vulnerability of juveniles and has increased the incidence of psychological or behavioral problems during their growth. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen preventive intervention for adolescents to avoid poverty's "scar effect" upon their physical and mental health. Explore the effect of group counseling using the Achieving Success Everyday (ASE) model on improving the resilience of junior high school students in impoverished areas. This single-blind, randomized controlled study adopted a within-subject experimental design of 2 (intervention group/control group) x 3 (pre- and post-treatment, subsequent follow-ups) and conducted group counseling intervention on seventh- to eighth-grade students in poor areas of southern Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (the group counseling lasted 8 weeks, with one session every week, 60 similar to 90 min for each session). The intervention effect was then evaluated using the Resilience Scale of Chinese Adolescent (RSCA), Core Self-evaluations Scale (CSES), and Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire (SCSQ). Before the intervention, there was no significant difference between RSCA, CSES, and SCSQ in the intervention group and the control group. After the intervention, the program significantly improved overall resilience scores, including three dimensions (goal focusing, positive cognition, and interpersonal assistance). And at the same time, the level of core self-evaluation and coping style has been improved, and the effect can last up to 3 months after the end of the intervention. Group counseling based on the ASE (Achieving Success Everyday) model can effectively improve students' resilience and has significant effects on improving the core self-evaluation and coping styles of the subjects.