Emotional Regulation in Institutionalized Teenagers in Mexico City: A Pilot Study

Abstract

A quasi-experimental preliminary study with a single group pretest-posttest design was developed with the purpose of analyzing the changes in emotional regulation processes of teenagers institutionalized in a Mexican orphanage, based on an intervention with psychodramatic psychotherapy. Several quantitative and qualitative instruments were applied to a mixed group of 13 teenagers. We evaluate differences in emotional regulation, social anxiety and depression with a Wilcoxon test. After the intervention, social anxiety decreased to a greater degree than emotional regulation, although the change was significant in both. Some contradictions were discovered during the measurement of depression since qualitative instruments did reflect the existence of it but no relevant values ​​were found with Beck inventory. Our analysis suggests that psychodrama can be an effective psychotherapeutic alternative to contribute to greater emotional regulation in institutionalized teenagers, although adjustments must be made for its application in this type of population.