Evaluation of a Psychoeducational Program to Help Adolescents Cope

Over 20% of a sample of 706 young adolescents identified themselves as experiencing difficulties and being in need of specific help in coping. A psychoeducational Program “Helping Adolescents Cope” was offered to 112 of those. This was adapted, with permission, from the “Coping with Stress Course,” devised by Albano et al. (1997). Participants’ progress was monitored and evaluated using qualitative and quantitative measures. The psychoeducational Program was found to be significantly effective in reducing participants’ depression scores, in reducing their reliance on unproductive means of coping and overall in helping them cope. This article presents the methodology used, key results and discusses the implications of this work for professionals working with adolescents in the area of prevention and coping.