AUTHOR=Qian Yi , Yu Xinnian , Liu Fulian 

TITLE=Comparison of Two Approaches to Enhance Self-Esteem and Self-Acceptance in Chinese College Students: Psychoeducational Lecture vs. Group Intervention

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=Volume 13 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.877737

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2022.877737

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=Objective: Self-esteem and self-acceptance are not only basic features but also influential factors of mental health. The present study aimed at assessing the effects of psychoeducational lecture and group intervention on self-esteem and self-acceptance in Chinese college students.
Methods: A total of 149 Chinese college students who participated in a mental health course were randomly class-based assigned into the psychoeducational lecture group (n=62) and the self-focused intervention group (n=87). The lecture group received 6-session psychoeducational lectures on overview of mental health, campus adaptation, stress adjustment, self-understanding, emotion management, and interpersonal relationships. The self-focused intervention group was treated with self-related group activities involving aspects of self-knowledge, self-feeling, and self-regulation for 6 sessions. Pre- and post-intervention measurements were taken with Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) and Self-Acceptance Questionnaire (SAQ) for both groups.
Results: Self-esteem significantly increased in both groups after 6 sessions. However, the enhancement of self-acceptance was more robust for the self-focused intervention group than the psychoeducational lecture group. 
Conclusion: The psychoeducational lecture and self-focused intervention were effective approaches to improve self-esteem for Chinese college students. With respect to self-acceptance, self-focused group intervention might have a more prominent effect.