Effectiveness and composition of emotional cultivation groups for Taiwanese youth with emotion regulation difficulties.

In 30 seconds

This randomized controlled trial evaluated semi-structured emotional cultivation counseling (BEAR) groups in 232 Taiwanese students referred for emotion regulation difficulties in school settings. Students were assigned to 20 BEAR groups or a waitlist control, with relational outcomes assessed before intervention and at three-month follow-up. Compared with controls, participants in BEAR groups improved more in Relational Problem-Solving, but not in Closeness to Others. Within BEAR groups, greater variation in students’ pretest friendship-approach goals was associated with greater improvement in Relational Problem-Solving.

Key findings

• BEAR participants showed significantly greater improvement in Relational Problem-Solving than waitlist controls.
• The intervention did not produce significantly greater improvement in Closeness to Others than the waitlist condition.
• Within BEAR groups, greater heterogeneity in pretest Friendship-Approach goals was associated with greater change in Relational Problem-Solving.

Why it matters

The findings suggest that a culturally grounded, group-based approach may support relational problem-solving among Taiwanese youth with emotion regulation difficulties. The association between group composition and outcome also raises the possibility that differences in friendship-approach goals within groups matter, although this result does not establish that deliberately varying group composition will improve outcomes.

What to keep in mind

Outcomes were assessed at a three-month follow-up, and the abstract reports improvement in one relational outcome but not the other. The association between group composition and change is not evidence that group heterogeneity caused the improvement.