Evaluation of a resilience intervention to enhance coping strategies and protective factors and decrease symptomatology.

OBJECTIVE

In this pilot study, the authors examined the effectiveness of a 4-week resilience intervention to enhance resilience, coping strategies, and protective factors, as well as decrease symptomatology during a period of increased academic stress.

PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS

College students were randomly assigned to experimental (n = 30) and wait-list control (n = 27) groups. The experimental group received a psychoeducational intervention in 4 two-hour weekly sessions. Measures of resilience, coping strategies, protective factors, and symptomatology were administered pre- and postintervention to both groups.

RESULTS

Analyses indicated that the experimental group had significantly higher resilience scores, more effective coping strategies (i.e., higher problem solving, lower avoidant), higher scores on protective factors (i.e., positive affect, self-esteem, self-leadership), and lower scores on symptomatology (i.e., depressive symptoms, negative affect, perceived stress) postintervention than did the wait-list control group.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings indicate that this resilience program may be useful as a stress-management and stress-prevention intervention for college students.