An evaluation of a short-term, cognitive-behavioural intervention for primary age children with anger-related difficulties

This research examines the efficacy of cognitive-behavioural interventions for the improvement of anger-related difficulties in children and adolescents.

The review paper looks at the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioural interventions for adolescents with anger-related difficulties, focusing on 14 published, empirical studies.

The majority of studies (N=13) found evidence of significant short-term modification of anger-related difficulties, and, where effect sizes were provided, these were mainly in the medium-to-large range.

Six studies also provided follow-up data, with largely positive results. However, a number of methodological inconsistencies were noted between papers, and it is therefore suggested that the results are interpreted with caution.

Recommendations are made for more rigorous approaches to research, in order to strengthen the conclusions drawn.

The empirical paper focuses on the efficacy of cognitive-behavioural interventions for primary age children, an identified priority for the authority in which the research was based. This study evaluates a short-term, cognitive-behavioural anger management programme for groups of primary aged children called 'Learning How to Deal with Our Angry Feelings', designed by the Southampton Psychology Service.

Though it has been evaluated locally, there is very little rigorous published research on this programme's effectiveness.

The intervention was administered to two matched cohorts of children: one received the intervention while the other group acted as a wait-list control (Time 1 to Time 2); the comparison group then received the intervention at a later stage (Time 2 to Time 3).

Measures were taken of general behaviour, emotional literacy, anger, understanding of anger and peer perceptions at all time points.

Results show that while both cohorts yielded statistically significant improvements in their understanding of anger directly post-intervention, only the second cohort made statistically significant improvements in general behaviour and emotional literacy.

Neither cohort made improvements in anger or peer perception scores.

The implications of these findings, and the potential reasons for differences between cohorts, are discussed.