Development and Implementation of the Cognitive Adaptation Motivation Program (CAMP) in Enhancing the Psychological Resilience of Adolescents in the Coastal Area of Kerala, India

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19551429

Shamil Jose Vallwavanattu and Richard Gonzales (The Graduate School, Department of Psychology, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines)

Adolescents in the coastal regions of Kerala, India, are often subjected to ongoing natural disasters and socio-environmental stresses, which position them at risk for low psychological resilience and the damaging effects that follow with it. Although resilience is becoming more widely acknowledged as a protective factor against mental health issues, structured, evidence-based intervention programs that explicitly target adolescents in coastal areas vulnerable to disasters are still lacking. The current study investigated the effectiveness of the Cognitive Adaptation Motivation Program (CAMP) in enhancing the psychological resilience of adolescents residing in coastal regions in Kerala, India. Conklin’s triphasic program development model, which comprises (1) planning, (2) design and implementation, and (3) evaluation and program validation, was used in this study. 211 met the inclusion criteria, and 44 participants (22 experimental, 22 control) were randomly assigned. The severity of these adolescents’ problems was evaluated using the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-25), interviews, and focused group discussions. The experimental and control groups’ post-test scores (Exp: M = 73.19, SD = 3.21; Ctrl: M = 48.00, SD = 6.28) and the experimental group’s pre-test and post-test scores (Pre-test: M=48.55, SD=5.72; Post-test=73.19, SD=3.21) showed a significant change, and the effect sizes at post-treatment were large, Cohen’s d = 5.05. The study offered strong evidence of the CAMP’s ability to improve adolescents’ psychological resilience.