Effects of Motivation-Based Academic Group Psychotherapy on Psychological and Physiological Academic Stress Responses among Korean Middle School Students

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of motivation-based academic group psychotherapy on psychological and physiological academic stress responses. Indicators of academic stress were the psychological measures of academic burnout and physiological measures of salivary cortisol. The intervention group was expected to show higher salivary cortisol levels initially and that both measures of academic burnout and salivary cortisol would decrease post-intervention. After the first measurement, the intervention group received group psychotherapy, and the comparison group received no treatment. Means, standard deviations, and correlation coefficients were calculated and general linear modeling was conducted. No initial between-group difference was detected in salivary cortisol. Post-intervention, signs of academic burnout decreased in the intervention group, mostly for cynicism. However, salivary cortisol increased in both groups. Accordingly, possible mechanisms and implications are discussed.