The effect of psycho-education program for emotional expressivity on adolescents depression, anxiety and stress level

The purpose of this study is to examine the psycho-educational program for emotional expression prepared by the researcher on the effects of adolescents on depression, anxiety and stress level. The study was conducted with 492 students who attended the 9th, 10th, and 11th classes in two high schools located in the province of Merzifon, Amasya, in the 2014-2015 academic year. Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-42) were administered to the subjects in the study. Forty-five students who scored above the mean of the scale were taken to the pool of subjects. In order to be able to pilot the psycho-educational program for emotional expression, 11 students were selected from the pool of subjects through drawing . A research group of 24 people was formed by drawing lotteries out of the 34 students who stayed in the subject pool. Research groups (experiment n=12, control n=12) were randomly assigned. Experimental and control groups were also determined by means of a drawing method. In the study, split plot design was used for 2x3 (experimental/control groups x pre-test/post-test /follow-up test). A 12-week psycho-educational program for emotional expression was prepared by the researcher in the experimental group. No action was taken in the control group. Sessions applied to the experiment group were conducted as 90 minute sessions in one week. The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-42) was administered to all students in the experimental and control groups three times at different times, when they started, when they were completed, and 3 months after they were completed. In the analysis of the data obtained from these measurements, a two-factor variance analysis technique was used for repeated measurements on the single factor to determine whether there was a difference between the measurements and the groups. The data obtained from three measurements (pre-test post-test and follow-up test) were analyzed with SPSS 20 packet program and the significance level was taken as .05. According to the findings of the research, it was observed that the effect of intervention time x is meaningful for all the variables of depression, anxiety and stress constituting the dependent variables of the research (p<.05). Bonferroni compatible multiple comparison test was utilized to identify the source of this difference. The results obtained from Bonferroni compatible multiple comparison test and variance analysis were put forth that psychoeducation program is effective for decreasing depression, anxiety and stress and that this effect is preserved to be continued after the 3 monthly follow up. In the light of the discovered findings, results from the research are discussed and recommendations are given for future researches. Keywords: Emotional Expressivity, Depression, Anxiety and Stress,Psychoeducation Program, Adolescence