The Effect of a Resilience Enhancement Programme for Female Runaway Youths: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Abstract

The effects of a resilience enhancement programme on resilience, depression, anxiety, and problem drinking among female runaway youths living in shelters were evaluated. Participants were 32 youths (16 experimental and 16 control participants), assessed at pre-test, post-test, and one-month follow-up. The programme incorporated five protective factors associated with resilience: self-esteem, self-regulation, relational skills, problem-solving skills, and goal-setting skills. There were significant group-by-time interaction effects for resilience, anxiety, and problem drinking at one-month follow-up. The preliminary results suggest that providing female runaway youths with this programme focusing on protective factors may enhance resilience and mitigate anxiety, and problem drinking.

Acknowledgement

This study is a condensed version of the author’s doctoral dissertation. The author would like to thank Dr. Sunah Kim, Dr. Hyeonkyeong Lee, Dr. Heejung Kim, Dr. Myung-Sun Hyun, and Dr. Jeong Sook Jeong for their review of the dissertation. Finally, the author would like to thank all youths for their participation in this study.

Disclosure statement

The author has no conflict of interest to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by a grant from the Health Fellowship Foundation. This had no influence on study planning, protocol preparation, study conduct, analyses, and reporting.