Impact of a Cognitive-Behavioral Training on Physical Activity, Psychological Well-being and Resilience among Adolescent Girls

Introduction: Research indicates that CBT is effective in various settings, including individual, couple, and family therapy. However, there has been a notable lack of investigation into its influence on the engagement of adolescent girls in physical activity and exercise as well as psychological health.
Objective: This study seeks to examine how CBT affects adolescent girls’ participation in exercise, their perceived psychological well-being, and their resilience.
Methods: This study employed a quasi-experimental design, featuring both pre-test and post-test assessments along with a control group. It targeted adolescent girls aged 15 to 18 years old. A convenience sampling method was used to recruit 40 participants, who were randomly divided to either the intervention or control groups. A contemporary accelerometer, the short-form Ryff’s Psychological Well-Being Scale (RPWBS) and the Davidson & Conner Resilience Questionnaire were administered to evaluate the variables. The intervention consisted of an eight-session CBT program. Data analysis was performed using ANCOVA via SPSS version 27.
Results: The findings indicate a significant increase in physical activity among participants of the intervention group following involvement in the CBT program (36.97±5.39 vs. 45.96±6.45, F=20.638, P<0.001). Additionally, participants of the intervention group reported an increase in perceived psychological well-being (49.82±8.47 vs. 69.87±10.47, F=22.481, P<0.001). Finally, participants of the intervention group reported an increase in resilience (63.54±8.45 vs. 89.87±12.47, F=30.774, P<0.001).
Conclusion: CBT has proven effective in alleviating psychological symptoms and increasing resilience and physical activity among adolescent girls. Consequently, it is recommended that physical education instructors incorporate this training into their curriculum to bolster both the psychological and physical health of adolescent girls.