The effects of a cognitive-behavioral program delivered to adolescent females in residential care
This study evaluated the effects of a cognitive-behavioral program delivered to adolescent females placed in residential youth centers on the experience, expression, and control of anger. The study used a quasi-experimental design that allowed comparisons between 104 girls in the experimental group and 78 girls in the control group over an 18 months period. Findings revealed that the program had no added value regarding two specific dimensions of anger: felt anger and anger suppression. Indeed, girls from both the experimental and the control group showed similar improvements on these dimensions throughout the 18 months window period. However, adolescents from the experimental group experienced significant decreases over time of difficulties related to choleric temperament, aggressive expression of anger, and anger regulation whereas girls from the control group showed no significant improvements as far as these dimensions were concerned. Since the program does not aim to encourage anger suppression and discourage the externalization of emotions, but rather simply to help girls better regulate and express anger in prosocial ways, our results support the use of cognitive-behavioral programs among adolescent females who engage in problem behaviours.