Rational emotive approaches among adolescents: Review

Pages: 448-450
Nalini Malhotra and Ravneet Kaur (Department of Psychology, Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab)

In today’s world ,adolescence is a time of changes, exploration, and youth searching along with the time of worry and problems. The emotional intelligence represents a capacity of control and self-control over stress and negative emotions. Emotional intelligence is a potential risk factor in behavioral problems in adolescence years and the lack of balanced development of emotional intelligence in adolescents could be associated with a variety of internalizing and externalizing problem behavior. Beliefs play an essential role in human beings’ life. Irrational beliefs are unrealistic reasoning process by which external events are interpreted and through which emotional distress is mediated. The effects of irrational beliefs are widespread, i.e., it is not limited to academic environment but spreads to other areas viz., social and personal. REBT (rational emotive behavior therapy) is being considered a comprehensive intervention that incorporates cognitive restructuring with emotions and behavioral application & recently introduced into classroom setting with adolescents. Rational emotive education (REE) is a preventive interventional mental health program through which children and adolescents can learn positive mental health concepts & social emotional skills. Rational emotive approaches aim at making irrational beliefs into rational ones, increasing the social emotional skills and enhancing self-esteem of adolescents. The inclusion of the focus on emotional intelligence as part of curriculum could lead to a variety of positive personal, social and societal outcomes. The present paper, highlighting the affective and emotional factors, focuses on the rational emotive approaches applied particularly to the problems of adolescents. The research on REE would help the policy makers and counselors to prepare appropriate counselling programs and workshops which will provide the preventive & intervention strategies in order to help adolescents reduce their irrational beliefs.