The Effect of Psycho-Drama on Reducing High-Risk Behaviors in Unsupervised Adolescence

The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of psycho-drama in reducing high risk behaviors in unsupervised adolescent boys.

This study was a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design with control group. The statistical population consisted of unsupervised teenage boys in the ages of 12-13, who were studying in the sixth grade in Zanjan in 2018-2019 academic year. 40 students were selected by purposive sampling and substituted in two equal groups as experimental and control groups. The main tool was the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (2013). Psychodrama intervention were performed for 9 sessions (each session 90 minutes) for experimental group but control group received no any intervention. At the final session, both experimental and control groups received post-test. Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance by SPSS23.

Results showed significant difference between two groups in post-test phase (P <0.05). Psychodrama decreased high-risk behaviors in experimental group. The percentage of these changes based on the Eta-square was 41.3%. Also, according to the results, Eta-square of components were 37% for the smoking, 32% for the alcohol;17.9% for the psychotropic; 36.3% for aggressive behaviors,35.3% for thinking and committing suicide, 30.5% for escape component and 35.5% for relationship the opposite sex (P <0.05).

According to the findings, it can be concluded that psychodrama is an effective adjunctive therapy to reduce the symptoms of high-risk behaviors of unsupervised adolescent boys and it is recommended to counselors in preventing psychological damage in schools.