Positive self talk journaling intervention to improve psychological well-being among child and adolescents in juvenile

BACKGROUND: Juvenile inmates often face psychological pressures such as stress, anxiety, and depression while serving their sentences. These conditions can reduce their psychological well-being. Previous research has shown that cognitive approaches such as positive self-talk are effective in helping individuals manage negative thoughts, while journaling can improve self-awareness and emotion regulation. However, there have been few interventions that combine these two approaches in juvenile inmates. OBJECTIVE: to determine the effect of positive self-talk journaling intervention on the psychological well-being of juvenile prisoners. METHOD: this study used a quasi-experimental design with a control and intervention group. The research sample consisted of 110 juvenile prisoners who were selected purposively according to the inclusion criteria, namely aged 13-18 years and willing to participate in the program. Data collection used the Ryff's Psychological Well-Being Scale at two times, before and after the intervention. The intervention was given for 4 weeks with structured sessions for positive self-talk and journaling. Data analysis was performed using the Wilcoxon test for analysis within groups and the Mann-Whitney test for comparison between groups. RESULTS: the Wilcoxon test results showed a significant increase in psychological well-being scores after the intervention in the intervention group (p < 0.05). The Mann-Whitney test showed a significant difference between the intervention group and the control group after the intervention (p < 0.05). These findings indicate that the positive self-talk journaling program is effective in improving the psychological well-being of juvenile prisoners. This intervention has a positive impact by helping juvenile prisoners recognize negative thoughts and replace them with positive affirmations. CONCLUSION: journaling techniques allow for deep self-reflection, thereby improving their ability to manage emotions. These findings support empirical evidence that cognitive and emotional-based approaches can improve mental health in high-stress situations.