Promoting Mental Health Equity to Reduce Anxiety: Effects of a Clinical Counseling Intervention Among Adolescents in Institutional Care
1
1.Departamento de enfermagem, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza-CE, Brasil
2
2.Departamento de enfermagem, Universidade Federal do Maranhão (UFMA), São Luis - MA, Brasil
3
3.Saúde Pública Odontológica e Psicologia Social, Faculdade de Odontologia de Dundde, Nethergate, Dundee, Reino Unido
4
4.Universidad del Quindío, Universidad del Quindío, Armênia, Quindio, Colômbia., Colômbia
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
Adolescents living in institutional care experience psychosocial vulnerabilities that increase the risk of anxiety and other mental disorders. The scarcity of structured interventions tailored to this population highlights the need for strategies that expand access to care and promote equity in mental health services. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of clinical counseling on reducing anxiety levels among adolescents in institutional care.
METHODS:
This quasi-experimental study employed a single-group pre- and post-test design and was conducted in two female institutional care facilities in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil. The participants were 10 adolescents aged 10 to 19 years who had been living in institutional care for at least three months. The intervention consisted of six weekly individual clinical counseling sessions with an educational and therapeutic approach. The sessions addressed emotional identification and regulation, anxiety coping strategies, self-esteem enhancement, and the development of life projects. Anxiety levels were assessed before and after the intervention using the Beck Anxiety Inventory. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, applying the paired t-test (p<0.05). The study was approved by a Research Ethics Committee (protocol no. 7,883,413) and was conducted in accordance with ethical principles for research involving human beings.
RESULTS:
A statistically significant reduction in anxiety levels was observed following the intervention. Mean BAI scores decreased from 27.9 at baseline to 15.3 post-intervention (p<0.001), with a large effect size. A consistent reduction in cognitive, emotional, and somatic anxiety symptoms was identified, along with qualitative improvements in emotional regulation and coping strategies reported by the participants.
CONCLUSIONS:
The educational intervention based on clinical counseling demonstrated positive results in reducing anxiety levels among adolescents in institutional care. The findings reinforce the importance of adapting interventions to different contexts and populations to achieve meaningful outcomes, enhance individual potential, and reduce mental health inequities and vulnerabilities.
Adolescents living in institutional care experience psychosocial vulnerabilities that increase the risk of anxiety and other mental disorders. The scarcity of structured interventions tailored to this population highlights the need for strategies that expand access to care and promote equity in mental health services. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of clinical counseling on reducing anxiety levels among adolescents in institutional care.
METHODS:
This quasi-experimental study employed a single-group pre- and post-test design and was conducted in two female institutional care facilities in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil. The participants were 10 adolescents aged 10 to 19 years who had been living in institutional care for at least three months. The intervention consisted of six weekly individual clinical counseling sessions with an educational and therapeutic approach. The sessions addressed emotional identification and regulation, anxiety coping strategies, self-esteem enhancement, and the development of life projects. Anxiety levels were assessed before and after the intervention using the Beck Anxiety Inventory. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, applying the paired t-test (p<0.05). The study was approved by a Research Ethics Committee (protocol no. 7,883,413) and was conducted in accordance with ethical principles for research involving human beings.
RESULTS:
A statistically significant reduction in anxiety levels was observed following the intervention. Mean BAI scores decreased from 27.9 at baseline to 15.3 post-intervention (p<0.001), with a large effect size. A consistent reduction in cognitive, emotional, and somatic anxiety symptoms was identified, along with qualitative improvements in emotional regulation and coping strategies reported by the participants.
CONCLUSIONS:
The educational intervention based on clinical counseling demonstrated positive results in reducing anxiety levels among adolescents in institutional care. The findings reinforce the importance of adapting interventions to different contexts and populations to achieve meaningful outcomes, enhance individual potential, and reduce mental health inequities and vulnerabilities.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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