The Effectiveness of Group Training Based on Choice Theory on Identity Crisis and Mental Health of High School Male Students in Second Grade in Dogonbadan

The present study is conducted according to educational needs based on social and welfare factors. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of reality therapy based on choice theory on mental health and identity crisis.

The present study is an experimental method with pre-test and post-test design with control group and random selection. The statistical population of this study consisted of all male high school students in second grade in Doganbadan. The statistical sample consisted of 45 students (two experimental groups each with 15 students and one control group with 15 students) who were selected by random allocation sampling from three high schools and assigned in two experimental groups and one control group. Experimental groups were trained in ten 90-minute sessions of reality therapy. In one experimental group, both adolescents and their parents and in the other experimental group, only adolescents received independent variable intervention. The tools used in this study included the Goldberg and Hiller mental health scales (1979) and the Ahmadi Identity Crisis Questionnaire (1997). The pre-test was performed on both the experimental and control groups using these tools. After the completion of the reality therapy sessions, the post-test was prepared and after two months the subjects were followed up again. Multivariate analysis of covariance was used for data analysis.

The results of the analysis showed that there was a significant difference between pre-test and post-test for both mental health and identity crisis variables, but compared with pre-test and follow-up test only in the experimental group in which adolescents and parents were trained, the mental health variable was significant and there was no significant difference in identity crisis variable in either group.

Based on the results of this study, it can be concluded that school counseling centers should create conditions for students with educational and personality problems and sometimes their parents to be counseled based on the choice theory to help students reduce their educational and personality problems as well as encourage them to act more actively and responsibly by informing students that whatever comes to them is the result of their own behaviors.