Sadhana Kallat S, Harshini Sabarish and Indhumathi R
Women’s Christian College, Chennai
Adolescence is the transitional phase between childhood and adulthood. Although
the richest stage of life, due to the numerous positive and negative features of regular
adolescent development, it has also been referred to as an emotional roller coaster.
Therefore, fostering positive mental health development in young adolescents is a
primary concern worldwide. According to Erikson’s view, adolescence is centered
around exploration (Erikson, 1959). Consequently, this adolescent identity exploration
is linked to several factors, such as fluctuations in ego strength, mood swings, and
rebelliousness (Kidwell, 1995). The adolescent self in this explorative transition is
also extremely vulnerable. Thus, the shaping and formation of their identity and roles
are also reflected in the commitments they make, their sense of self, and their social
relationships (Cherry, 2022). In this regard, the objective of this study is to investigate the
Self-worth, Self-concept, Self-esteem, and the quality of the interpersonal relationships
of young adolescents before and after a 2-day Self-enhancement training, examine the
disparities in scores between the two sets of data, and review the effects of the training.
The sample size for this study was 35 young adolescents between 12-14 years from
schools in Chennai. Data were collected through questionnaires using google forms
after obtaining consent from parents. The Friendship Quality Scale (Bukowski et al.,
1994), Rosenberg’s self-esteem scale (Rosenberg, 1965), and Adolescents’ Selfconcept Short Scale (Veiga, 2016) were used to collect data. Descriptive statistics and
Repeated measures t-test is proposed for data analysis. The modules developed for
the Self-enhancement training can be inculcated in the school curriculum to improve
adolescent mental health.
Keywords: young adolescents, self-esteem, self-concept, interpersonal relationships,
pre-post study