The Efficacy Of Williams LifeSkills Training On Mental Health And Aggressive Behavior Of The Male Juvenile Offenders

ObjectiveTo explore the efficacy of Williams LifeSkills Training on mental health and aggressive behavior of the male juvenile offenders.Methods118 juvenile offenders from Hunan reformatory are randomly divided into two groups,68 into study group and 50 into control group. The study group received an 8-week Williams LifeSkills Training, while the control group didn't receive any intervention. Before and after the training program, all subjects were assessed on Williams Life Skill Questionnaire (WLSQ), Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 (BIS-11), COOK-MEDLEY Hostility Scale (CMHS), Modified Overt Aggression Scale (MOAS), General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI X-1 X-2), Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) and Trait Coping Style Questionnaire (TCSQ). 59 juvenile offenders in the study group (42 of them are violent) and 46 juvenile offenders in the control group (32 of them are violent) was qualified for the statistic analysis in the current study.Results1. After the intervention, the total score of GSES of the study subjects (2.57±0.54) was significantly higher than that of the controls (2.38±0.35) (P<0.05), but no difference was found in the total score of GSES in the two groups as compared with the baseline (P>0.05).2. After the intervention, only the score of the objective support in the study subjects (7.05±1.38) was increased significantly as compared with the baseline (5.85±1.76) (P<0.05)3. After the intervention, the score of positive coping in the study group (32.72±5.77) increased significantly than that of the control (29.89±4.51) (P<0.01), and the score of negative coping in the study (26.86±6.26) decreased significantly as compared with the baseline (30.10±6.98)(P<0.01).4. After intervention, the total score of SDS in the study group (41.73±6.38) was significantly lower than that of the controls (44.54±5.57) (P<0.05). The total score of STAI X-2 (39.92±5.85) and SDS (41.69±6.43) decreased significantly as compared with the baseline (P<0.05).5. After intervention, the score of verbal aggression (0.75±1.01), physical aggression against self (2.51±3.85), physical aggression against others (2.51±3.85) and the total score (5.56±6.35) of MOAS in the violent study subjects was lower significantly than that of the controls (P<0.05). The score of physical aggression against others and the total score of MOAS in the violent study group reduced significantly as compared with the baseline (P>0.05), but the score of physical aggression against self in the violent control group increased significantly as compared with the baseline (P<0.05).6. After intervention, the total scores of CMHS and the all sub-scale score of CMHS decreased in the violent study subjects, but only aggressive response score (4.60±1.88) decreased significantly as compared with the baseline (P<0.05).7. After intervention, the total scores of BIS-II decreased in the violent study group, but no difference statistically was found (P>0.05).Conclusions1. WLST could promote the level of the self-efficacy and increase the self-confidence and improve the coping style of the juvenile offenders, so could effectively decrease their anxiety and depression level.2. WLST could reduce effectively the overt aggression, but could not reduce the hostility and impulsivity of the juvenile offenders.