Building Resilience among at-risk Adolescents Using Interventions Based on Thirukkural and Probabilistic Orientation

Abstract

Several studies have attempted to evaluate interventions to enhance resilience among at-risk adolescents based on western theories. However, these models have questionable relevance to Indian culture. Various models described in Indian literature can be used to design psychological interventions to promote resilience in culturally meaningful ways. The present study evaluates two intervention programs' efficacy using a qualitative method, one based on Thirukkural and the other based on Probabilistic Orientation (PO). A purposive sample of 117 at-risk adolescents between 11-15 years of age (M = 12.66; SD = .81) was used in this study. Two rural government schools were selected for the investigation, and they were randomly assigned to one of the two experimental conditions, viz., condition 1 (Thirukkural condition) and condition 2 (PO condition). A 12-week intervention based on Thirukkural was delivered to participants in condition#1, and PO intervention was delivered to condition#2. The semi-structured interview was carried out on 12 participants randomly selected from each group before and after the interventions to understand the interventions' efficacy in promoting resilience. The interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis, and themes identified are discussed. Psychological interventions based on Thirukkural and PO appear to enhance resilience among at-risk adolescents studying in rural schools.