The effect of cognitive–behavioral group therapy on the self-esteem, depression, and self-efficacy of runaway adolescents in a shelter in South Korea

This study examined the effects of cognitive–behavioral group therapy (CBT) on the self-esteem, depression, and self-efficacy of runaway adolescents residing in a shelter in Seoul, South Korea. The study used a control group pretest–posttest design. The experimental group and the control group consisted of 14 and 13 male subjects, respectively, with subjects having been randomly assigned to these groups. The experimental group participated in a CBT that consisted of eight sessions over an 8-week period; the control group did not participate in the program. To examine the effects of the CBT on dependent variables, the Wilcoxon signed rank test was used. The scores on depression decreased significantly (z = −2.325, p = .02) and those on self-efficacy increased significantly (z = −2.098, p = .03) after the intervention in the experimental group. There was no significant change on self-esteem (z = −1.19, p = .23). In the control group, the scores on depression, self-esteem, and self-efficacy did not change significantly after the intervention period. The CBT developed in this study consisted of structured and specific content that could be usefully applied to runaway adolescents residing in a shelter.