University of Connecticut OpenCommons@UConn Doctoral Dissertations University of Connecticut Graduate School 4-7-2017 Improving Well-being and Behavior in Adolescents Utilizing a School-based Positive Psychology Intervention Emily DeBiase University of Connecticut - Storrs, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at:https://opencommons.uconn.edu/dissertations Recommended Citation DeBiase, Emily, "Improving Well-being and Behavior in Adolescents Utilizing a School-based Positive Psychology Intervention" (2017).Doctoral Dissertations. 1368. https://opencommons.uconn.edu/dissertations/1368 Improving Well-being and Behavior in Adolescents Utilizing a School-based Positive Psychology Intervention Emily DeBiase University of Connecticut, 2017 This study employed the 10 core sessions of the Well-Being Promotion Program (Suldo, 2016), a multi-component Positive Psychology Intervention (PPI) with the goal of improving daily happiness and classroom behavior in a sample of high school students at risk for poor school outcomes. PPIs have increasingly been used in school settings to enhance student well-being and to foster a number of behaviors important to student success, such as a positive attitude towards learning, increased school satisfaction, improved social skills, and increased academic engagement. PPIs have also been used with children and adolescents to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression and to increase positive affect. Additionally, there is some preliminary evidence of the efficacy of PPIs in preventing the development of externalizing behaviors in children and adolescents. However despite the growing use of PPIs in a variety of school settings, there are currently no published studies to date that have explored the effects of a PPI on students’ daily happiness and classroom behaviors. The current study utilized a multiple baseline design across 5 adolescents to examine the effects of a school-based wellness promotion intervention on student self-reports of happiness and teacher reports of classroom behavior. Keywords: Wellness Promotion, Positive Psychology Intervention, At Risk Adolescents, Behavior Improving Well-being and Behavior in Adolescents Utilizing a School-based Positive Psychology Intervention Emily DeBiase B.A., Providence College, 2002 M.S., Southern Connecticut State University, 2005 A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Connecticut 2017 ii Copyright by Emily DeBiase 2017 iii APPROVAL PAGE Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation Improving Well-being and Behavior in Adolescents Utilizing a School-based Positive Psychology Intervention Presented by Emily DeBiase, B.A., M.S. Major Advisor ___________________________________________________________________ Melissa A. Bray, PhD Associate Advisor ___________________________________________________________________ Sandy M. Chafouleas, PhD Associate Advisor ___________________________________________________________________ Nick W. Gelbar, PhD University of Connecticut 2017 iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Approval Page……………………………………………………………………………………iii Table of Contents……………………………………………………………………………..….iv List of Tables……………………………………………………………………………………...v List of Figures……………………………………………………………………………………..v List of Appendices………………………………………………………………………………...v CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………....1 Statement of the Problem………………………...………………………………………..1 Purpose of Study……………………….………………………………………………….3 Research Question………………………………………………………………………...3 CHAPTER II: REVIW OF THE LITERATURE………….....…………………………………...4 Interventions for At Risk Students……..………………………………………………….4 Positive Psychology Overview………….………………………………………………...6 Positive Psychology Interventions and Subjective Well-being………………………….10 PPIs in the Schools…...………………………………………………………………….10 PPIs with Different Student Populations…..…………………………………………….13 Extending PPI Applications……………………………………………………………...17 CHAPTER III: METHOD……………………………………………………………………….19 Participants and Setting………………………………………………………………….19 Design……………………………………………………………………………………20 Materials and Measures………………………………………………………………….21 Procedures………………………………………………………………………………..26 Data Analysis…………………………………………………………………………….30 CHAPTER IV: RESULTS……………………………………………………………………….33 Daily Happiness Rating………………………………………………………………….33 Classroom Behavior………………………………..…………………………………….36 Life Satisfaction ……………………………………………..…………………………..42 Treatment Integrity…………………………………………………………...………….42 Social Validity………………...…………………….………………………...………....43 CHAPTER V: DISCUSSION……………………………………………………………………45 Summary of Results…………………………………………...…………………………45 Limitations……………………………………………………………………………….50 Directions for Future Research………………….……………………………………….51 Implications for Practice…………………………………………………………………52 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………….53 REFERENCES…………………………………………………………………………………..55 TABLES…………………………………………………………………………………………63 FIGURES……………………………………………………………………………..……...….66 v APPENDICES………………………………………………………………………………….68 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Well-being Promotion Program Summary of Session Content Table 2. Students’ Daily Happiness Ratings- Baseline and Intervention Table 3. Students’ DBR Percentages- Baseline and Intervention Table 4. Student Life Satisfaction Scale (SLSS) Pre- and Post-Intervention Scores Table 5. SLSS Paired Samples t-test Table 6. CEI- Child Evaluation Scores LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Students’ Daily Happiness Ratings Figure 2. Students’ Classroom Behavior DBR Percentages LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix A. Administrator Recruitment Script Appendix B. Administrator Permission Form Appendix C. School-based Mental Health Professional Recruitment Script Appendix D. Teacher Recruitment Script Appendix E. Parent Information Script Appendix F. Parent Permission Form Appendix G. Student Assent Form Appendix H. Student Information Sheet Appendix I. Qualtrics Survey Appendix J. Direct Behavior Rating (DBR) Form: 3 Standard behaviors Appendix K. URP- Intervention Appendix L. Subjective Happiness Scale Appendix M. Brief Multidimensional Life Satisfaction Scale Appendix N. Student Life Satisfaction Scale 1 Chapter I: Introduction Statement of the Problem American youth are increasingly experiencing mental health challenges. Data from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH, 2016) show that one in five children aged 13-18 currently have, or will develop a serious mental health condition. These data highlight the urgent need to address youth mental health concerns. One of the most utilized avenues for addressing youth mental health concerns is through accessing support services within the public schools. Public schools are mandated by law to address students’ social, emotional and behavioral needs when those needs impact the student’s ability to function in the academic, behavioral, and/or social realms (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act [IDEA], 2004). Further, a significant body of research has established that students who demonstrate signs of poor mental health in school, such as emotional or behavioral challenges, are at an increased risk for poor educational outcomes and other negative psychosocial outcomes including academic failure, attendance problems, and/or discipline issues (Zins, Bloodworth, Weissberg, & Walberg, 2004). Research findings have shown that students with these types of challenges are more likely to drop out of school, which can contribute to a lifetime of other challenges. (Zins et.al, 2004). As such, those youth who are deemed to be at an increased risk for school failure due to the presence of social-emotional and behavioral challenges are a particularly important group to focus upon for school-based mental health intervention. Iachini, Brown, Ball, Gibson, and Lize (2015) reported that early intervention strategies can help support the re-engagement of at-risk students in the classroom, stating that when students’ social and emotional needs are effectively addressed, they may be more available for learning and better able to apply instructional strategies (Iachini et al. 2015). Numerous longitudinal empirical studies (e.g., National Research Council and the Institutes of Medicine, Committee on Increasing 2 High School Students’ Engagement and Motivation to Learn, 2004; Pizzolato, Brown, & Kanny, 2012; Spencer, Dupree, & Hartmann, 1997) support this idea, and demonstrate how social- emotional well-being can influence students’ academic engagement and the academic achievement of at-risk adolescents (Iachini et al. 2015). Having established the importance of focusing upon the mental health needs of at-risk students, it then becomes necessary to identify what constitutes “good” mental health and what types of interventions may be most effective in promoting mental health. School-based mental health professionals need access to evidence-based, easy to implement interventions that can produce measurable results in a relatively short amount of time. But what are the results these interventions are supposed to produce? How does one define mental health? Some of the most promising answers to the questions of what defines complete mental health, and what interventions may be most effective in promoting mental health, have come from the field of Positive Psychology. Within the growing field of positive psychology, there are a growing number of mental health interventions, termed Positive Psychology Interventions. Positive Psychology Interventions (PPIs) have increasingly been used in school settings to enhance student well-being and to foster a number of behaviors important to student success, such as a positive attitude towards learning, increased school satisfaction, improved social skills, and increased academic engagement. PPIs have also been used with children and adolescents to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression and to increase positive affect (Froh, Kashdan, Ozimkowski, & Miller, 2009; Layous et. al, 2012; Marques, Lopez, & Pais-Ribeiro, 2011; Proctor et al., 2011; Rashid & Anjum, 2008; Roth, Suldo & Ferron, 2017; Seligman et al., 2009; Suldo, 2016; Suldo, Savage & Mercer, 2014). Additionally, there is preliminary evidence of the efficacy of PPIs in preventing the development of externalizing behaviors in children and 3 adolescents and reducing problem behaviors (Rashid et.al, 2013; Schonert-Reichl & Lawlor, 2010; Schonert-Reichl et al., 2015). Purpose of the Study This study investigated whether a manualized PPI (core sessions of the Well-being Promotion Program) implemented in individual school-based counseling sessions with at-risk high school students would lead to increased happiness and improved classroom behavior. Given the literature base supporting the use of PPIs in improving well-being and academic behaviors, it was hypothesized that students may a) report increased daily happiness levels while participating in this intervention and b) demonstrate increased academic engagement and respectful behaviors in the classroom along with decreased disruptive behavior during the course of the intervention. Research Questions 1.) Is there a functional relationship between implementation of the core sessions of the Well- being Promotion Program (WPP) and daily happiness in at-risk adolescents? 2.) Is there a functional relationship between implementation of the WPP and classroom behavior in at-risk adolescents? Secondary Question 1.) Will students report an increase in life satisfaction from pre- to post-intervention?