Gina Meccariello

Using Cognitive Relaxation Coping

Skills: to decrease the amount of violent

behaviors in a Colorado Junior High

School

The community need is that Colorado is experiencing too much youth violence due to heightened cognitive, physiological, and emotional sensations, therefore they need a program that will step in and stop this problem from occuring.

Community Need

Deffenbacher, Jerry L., Rebekah S. Lynch, Eugene R. Oetting, and Calvin C. Kemper, "Anger Reduction in Early Adolescents", Journal of Counseling Psychology, Vol. 43, No. 2, 1996, pp. 149 -157.

2.6

97.4

Current rate of Violent Youth vs. Non-Violent

Youth in Montbello

Violent YouthNon-Vio-lent Youth

Montbello Neighborhood in

Denver, Colorado: rate of violent crime among

youth

http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/ace/pdf/denver-a.pdf

The Cognitive Relaxation Coping Skills program focuses on heightened cognitive, emotional, and physiological sensations. The goals of the program is to increase children's ability to control their emotions such as anger and depression. In the program students are taught methods for relaxation and attitude change.

What is Cognitive Relaxation Coping Skills?

Logical Approach WorksheetPROBLEM OR ISSUE RESOURCES ACTIVITIES OUTPUTS

SHORT- TERM OUTCOMES

LONG-TERM OUTCOMES IMPACT

The Community Need In order to accomplishIn order to address our

We expect that once

We expect that if accomplished

We expect that if accomplished

We expect that if accomplished

This is the problem we our set of activities weproblem or asset we will

accomplished these these activities these activities these activities

are trying to solvewill need the following:

accomplish the following

activities will produce

will lead to the following

will lead to the following

will lead to the following

activities:the following evidence changes in 1–3 changes in 4–6

changes in 7–10 years:

or service delivery: years: years:

In a Junior High in Colorado, there is too much violent behavior

among the youth population. The rate is

currently 178 out of 694 students between ages 9-11. It would be

much better to be closer to 70 out of 694. This problem is a result

of heightened cognitive, emotional,

and physiological sensations such as

depression. (Deffenbacher, Jerry L.,

Rebekah S. Lynch, Eugene R. Oetting, and Calvin C.

Kemper, "Anger Reduction in Early Adolescents", Journal of Counseling

Psychology, Vol. 43, No. 2, 1996, pp. 149 157. )

Executive Director, Teachers,

Counselor, Books, Computer,

Assessment tests, 3 classrooms, one main office, and

post office space.

Children ages 9-12 will participate

in Cognitive Relaxation Coping

Skills. It is a program that

teaches students different ways to cope with their

feelings of anger and teaches them

how to relax during a stressful

situation.

The outputs will be a monthly count of how many children

ages 9-12 sign up for and

participate in the program.

The percent of depression among youth will be lower

for those participating in the

program as compared to those not participating in

the program.

The percent levels of depression and

anxiety in youth will be lower for those participating in the

program as compared to those not participating in

the program.

The community problem, youth

violent behavior, will decline from the current amount of

178 out of 694 students closer to the desired lower level of 70 out of

694 students.

“Coping reactions to stressful events are important links between difficult experiences and the emergence of psychopathology.”

“Generally, the research indicates that negative coping—internalized (e.g., crying, worrying), externalized (aggressive acting-out), and avoidance (e.g., distancing, distraction) strategies—are associated with mental health difficulties.”

Boxer, Paul, et al. "Coping With Stress, Coping With Violence: Links To Mental Health Outcomes Among At-Risk Youth." Journal Of Psychopathology & Behavioral Assessment 34.3 (2012): 405-

414. SocINDEX with Full Text. 20 Apr. 2015.

Literature Review

“The premise of the program is that as students apply these skills and learn how to relax, or if they avoid becoming angry in the first place, they are better able to deal effectively with frustrating situations.”

“Similarly, for depression, CRCS participants reported significantly less depression than control students”

Literature Review

Continued

Deffenbacher, Jerry L., Rebekah S. Lynch, Eugene R. Oetting, and Calvin C. Kemper, "Anger Reduction in Early Adolescents", Journal of Counseling Psychology, Vol. 43, No. 2, 1996, pp. 149 -157.

“Determining the child’s problem behavior pattern can be difficult. One factor complicating this process is that behaviors such as violence, abusing substances, skipping school, and being sexually promiscuous typically co-occur with other mental health problems.”

“The promotion of positive youth development has been shown to be a promising method for preventing problem behavior in some adolescents.”

Bradshaw, Catherine P., Jennifer S. Brown, and Stephen F.

Hamilton. "Bridging Positive Youth Development And Mental Health Services For Youth With Serious Behavior Problems." Child & Youth Care Forum 37.5/6 (2008): 209- 226. SocINDEX with Full Text. 20 Apr. 2015.

Literature Review

Continued

“African American and Latino youth who reside in inner-city communities are at heightened risk for compromised mental health, as their neighborhoods are too often associated with serious stressors, including elevated rates of poverty, substance abuse, community violence, as well as scarce youth-supportive resources, and mental health care options.”

“Adolescents with elevated mental health needs may experience impaired judgment, poor problem-solving skills, and conflictual interpersonal relationships.”

Literature Review

ContinuedAlicea, Stacey, et al. "Step-Up: Promoting Youth Mental Health And Development In Inner-City High Schools." Clinical Social Work Journal 40.2 (2012): 175 186. SocINDEX. 21 Apr. 2015.

Assessment

Row Labels Average of depression among youth (continuous varable)

Not in the Program 11.41242938

In the Program 13.19240506

Grand Total 12.35113485

Not in the Program In the program10.5

11

11.5

12

12.5

13

13.5

Group Statistics

In Program (1) vs Not in Program (0) N Mean Std. Deviation

violent behaviors among youth (continuous variable)

0 354 11.41 7.380

1 395 13.19 7.383

T-Test

Group Statistics

In Program (1) vs Not in Program (0)

Std. Error Mean

violent behaviors among youth (continuous variable)

0 .3921 .371

Independent Samples Test

Levene's Test for Equality of Variances

t-test for Equality

of Means

F Sig. tviolent behaviors among youth (continuous variable)

Equal variances assumed .008 .927 -3.295

Equal variances not assumed

-3.295

Independent Samples Test

t-test for Equality of Means

df Sig. (2-tailed) Mean Difference

violent behaviors among

youth (continuous variable)

Equal variances assumed 747 .001 -1.780

Equal variances not assumed 738.180 .001 -1.780

Independent Samples Test

t-test for Equality of Means

Std. Error Difference

95% Confidence Interval of the Difference

Lower Upperviolent behaviors among youth (continuous variable)

Equal variances assumed .540 -2.841 -.719

Equal variances not assumed

.540 -2.841 -.719

It is significant that participants in the program increase in rate of violent behaviors compared to those not in the program.

Regression

ModelVariables Entered

Variables Removed Method

1 In Program (1) vs Not in Program (0)b

. Enter

Model Summary

Model R R SquareAdjusted R

SquareStd. Error of the

Estimate1 .120a .014 .013 7.381

ANOVAa

Model

Sum of

Squares df Mean Square F Sig.

1 Regression 591.489 1 591.489 10.856 .001b

Residual 40701.163 747 54.486 Total 41292.652 748

Coefficientsa

Model

Unstandardized Coefficients

Standardized

Coefficients

t Sig.B Std. Error Beta1 (Constant) 11.412 .392 29.090 .000

In Program (1) vs Not in Program (0) 1.780 .540 .120 3.295 .001

Regression