Research Background
Cognitive distortion (CD) is a common psychological issue that affects people of different ages and backgrounds. CD is the “misinterpretation in reasoning or events and a maladaptive way of thinking” (Şahin et al., 2020, p. 35). People having CD symptoms tend to concentrate on negative aspects of their lives and the world around them. These perceptions have a strong (often negative) influence on their behaviors, making them less adapted to potential challenges every person faces in their life. Based on the peculiarities of ideation, researchers identify several types of distortions, including selective abstraction, overgeneralization, catastrophization, personalization, predicting with no proper evidence, self-reference, and dichotomous thinking (Panourgia & Comoretto, 2017). Different people can develop CD, but some populations can be more vulnerable compared to others.
Middle-school students are specifically prone to developing this mental health issue due to developmental peculiarities and various internal and external factors. First, adolescents at this age explore their identities and start looking for their way and place in society. Various factors may affect this process and cause the emergence of cognitive distortions. For example, childhood trauma and such disorders as anxiety or depression can cause the development of CD (Şahin et al., 2020, p. 35). Dragone et al. (2019) found that community violence exposure could also lead to the development of CD. Cognitive distortions are common symptoms among adolescents diagnosed with anxiety or depression (Öztürk et al., 2018). CD prevents people from building resilience when coping with different health conditions.
It has also been acknowledged that CD can persist into adulthood and have long-term adverse effects on the quality of people’s lives. Such individuals are often unable to form proper relationships, which leads to personal problems, issues at the workplace, emotional distress, or even the development of different health issues (such as cardiovascular disorders) (Öztürk et al., 2018). Among the consequences of cognitive distortions, hating and associated behaviors can be observed (Pace et al., 2018). Adolescents may engage in bullying and cyberbullying, as well as become the victims of different types of abuse.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is another common approach to treating people’s cognitive distortions. Positive psychology has proved to be an effective framework for addressing various emotional issues and is often an important element of CBT programs (Boniwell & Tunariu, 2019). These programs are often individual and concentrate on specific traits of a particular person, which can be seen as a limitation due to the resources required to implement such projects. These programs can hardly be employed with other clients or generalized to a larger population. They need properly trained counselors who need to work with each patient individually. Group therapies to address cognitive distortions in middle-school students are not numerous, although the ones implemented are characterized by positive outcomes (Antoine et al., 2018). It is important to ensure the availability of cost-effective programs for students diagnosed with CD.
The proposed study aims at developing and evaluating the effectiveness of a school-based program aimed at reducing cognitive distortions in middle-school students. The focus of this project will be on the use of group counseling based on the utilization of the positive psychology approach. It is critical to develop an incentive that could be beneficial for a large population, which is specifically pivotal in underprivileged communities. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) will be the basis of the program under consideration.
Problem Statement
As mentioned above, cognitive distortion affects middle-school students causing substantial distress. This condition has negative effects on the target populations’ mental health, emotional well-being, and academic outcomes (Panourgia & Comoretto, 2017). Middle-school students tend to address quite serious psychological transformations taking place due to their developmental peculiarities. At this age, people often concentrate on the negative side of human life and develop cognitive distortion. Middle-school students can be fixed on academic failures or issues, suffer from peer pressure, and be exposed to diverse negative influences. As a result, this population is prone to the development of anxiety and depressive symptoms, as well as cognitive distortions. Clearly, these conditions deteriorate the quality of young people’s lives and can cause discomfort.
Quite a considerable bulk of studies have been implemented to identify the peculiarities and causes (as well as effects) of cognitive distortions in different populations, including adolescents. Finne and Svartdal (2017) note that the mental health concern in question is often treated with the help of individual programs. These interventions are effective and lead to positive outcomes, but the associated expenses are also rather significant. Counselors have to be trained properly, and schools should have sufficient resources (staff, space, and so on) in order to ensure the effectiveness of individual incentives. At that, the coverage of such projects will remain limited. Finne and Svartdal (2017) add that more cost-effective projects should be developed and offer a program covering students, as well as teachers and parents, that have proved to be effective. The focus of this initiative was on social skills development, which is an important aspect in addressing behavioral disorders and CD. One of the strengths of this initiative was the number of participants, as large groups of adolescents became participants and benefited from this involvement.
The guiding theoretical framework for this program will be the theory of positive psychology. This theoretical paradigm was introduced several decades ago as a response to the overwhelming focus on disorders and negative aspects (Antoine et al., 2018; Li & Xu, 2019). Positive psychology theory can be seen as a pathway to well-being and resilience as people find inner strengths through the focus on positive aspects of their life. This approach is widely exploited in the Western world, but it is also becoming more popular in developing countries as well. The reason for such a wide utilization is the effectiveness of the approach and its applicability in diverse settings. The theory of positive psychology can be instrumental in addressing the needs of adolescents as well. The purpose of this project is the development and evaluation of the effectiveness of a school-based program aimed at reducing cognitive distortions in middle-school students. The project will encompass the implementation of a multi-component incentive and involve the development of social skills, students’ engagement facilitation, and mindfulness skills development.
Research Aims
In order to implement the project successfully, it is necessary to set manageable goals to be achieved and put research questions to be answered. The primary goals of this project include:
- The development of an effective school-based group counseling intervention for middle-school students with cognitive distortion symptoms.
- The evaluation of the effectiveness of the implemented program is based on the analysis of quantitative data.
It is necessary to note that the program should be applicable in different school settings and cohorts. For instance, it should be appropriate for all cultural groups, males and females, as well as students that might have certain mental health issues (depression and anxiety). Although the focus of this intervention can be on the general population, it is important to make sure that underprivileged communities will benefit from the implementation of the proposed intervention.
In order to achieve the established goals, it is necessary to set a clear research question that can be formulated as follows:
- Does a school-based group counseling intervention for middle-school students with CD reduce the symptoms of cognitive distortions?
Research Methodology
As mentioned above, the counseling program will be characterized by such components as positive psychology and group counseling. The intervention will be designed to meet the needs of middle-school students with a focus on academic issues, peer pressure, family-related conflicts, and so on. The cognitive distortion symptoms of the participants will be measured with the help of the Children’s Negative Cognitive Error Questionnaire (CNCEQ). The students, irrespective of comorbid states (depression, anxiety or other disorders), will be included in this study. The counseling groups will consist of approximately ten children, and the meetings will take place in the school setting.
The counseling intervention will encompass one-hour sessions held twice a week. As far as the methods used, cognitive behavioral therapy will be the backbone of the intervention with the emphasis on the positive psychology approach. Students will learn to concentrate on the positive aspects of their personalities and their lives. Such instruments as keeping a journal (a diary), role play, and the elements of art therapy will be utilized. The students will acquire social and mindfulness skills. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the program, the students will complete the CNCEQ at the beginning and at the end of the program. The rate of students with CD symptoms among the participants will be instrumental in identifying whether the goals of the project have been achieved.
Importance of the Study
The intervention can have numerous positive implications for the target population and larger communities. First, the intervention will help adolescents to cope with their mental health concerns and develop effective adaptive skills to become successful academically and later in life (Panourgia & Comoretto, 2017). Middle-school students will be more resilient to the potential adversities, which is specifically valuable in underprivileged communities. Adolescents living in such environments are often exposed to domestic and community violence and peer pressure. A considerable number of adolescents have personal issues related to their appearance, health condition, socioeconomic status, and so on. All these factors cause the development of CD and may have a negative impact on the target population’s emotional state and quality of life.
The creation of a cost-effective program for middle-school students will have valuable practical implications. Instead of individual programs, school counselors will be able to cover larger populations by using the proposed group-based intervention. They will be equipped with guidelines and effective tools, which can be critical for underprivileged communities where counselors may lack the training to develop and implement effective interventions. Finally, the research has certain theoretical implications, as the applicability of the positive psychology instrumentation will be assessed. The program outcomes will indicate whether positive psychology can be effective in the reduction of cognitive distortions in adolescents.
References
Antoine, P., Dauvier, B., Andreotti, E., & Congard, A. (2018). Individual differences in the effects of a positive psychology intervention: Applied psychology. Personality and Individual Differences, 122, 140-147.
Boniwell, I., & Tunariu, A. D. (2019). Positive psychology: Theory, research and applications (2nd ed.). McGraw-Hill Education (UK).
Dragone, M., Esposito, C., De Angelis, G., Affuso, G., & Bacchini, D. (2019). Pathways linking exposure to community violence, self-serving cognitive distortions and school bullying perpetration: A three-wave study.International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(1), 1-18.
Finne, J. N., & Svartdal, F. (2017). Social perception training: Improving social competence by reducing cognitive distortions. International Journal of Emotional Education, 9(2), 44-58.
Li, C., & Xu, J. (2019). Trait emotional intelligence and classroom emotions: A positive psychology investigation and intervention among Chinese EFL learners.Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 1-17.
Öztürk, y., Özyurt, G., & Özdel, K. (2018). Emotional schemas in adolescents diagnosed with anxiety disorders. Klinik Psikofarmakoloji Bulteni, 28, 11-12.
Pace, U., Passanisi, A., & D’Urso, G. (2018). Emotional and cognitive correlates of hating among adolescents: An exploratory study.Journal of Adolescence, 68, 159-164.
Panourgia, C., & Comoretto, A. (2017). Do cognitive distortions explain the longitudinal relationship between life adversity and emotional and behavioral problems in secondary school children?Stress and Health, 33(5), 590-599.
Şahin, Ş. K., Ozdemir, N., Elboğa, G., & Altindag, A. (2020). Association between cognitive distortions and childhood traumas with medication adherence of patients with major depressive disorder. Israel Journal of Psychiatry, 57(2), 35-41.