Building Resilience Through a Self-Help Psychoeducation Program Based on Positive Psychotherapy: A Pilot Study with Young Adults in Türkiye

Abstract

This pilot study investigated the effects of a self-help psychoeducation program based on positive psychotherapy on the psychological resilience of young adults in Türkey. The 8-week program, conducted online, comprised weekly 90-min sessions. The intervention group consisted of 15 women between the ages of 18 and 35 living in various cities in Türkey. This study used a mixed-method design that combined quantitative and qualitative approaches. Quantitative data were collected using a single-group pre-test–post-test–follow-up design, analyzed with the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and assessed using the Brief Psychological Resilience Scale. Qualitative data were gathered via Google Forms and analyzed phenomenologically to explore the participants’ experiences. The results showed that the psychoeducation program had positive effects on participants’ psychological resilience, and that this effect continued with the follow-up test results. Qualitative analysis identified two main themes: self-help and self-compassion and emotional management and balance. Participants reported enhanced self-help skills, increased self-compassion, and improved emotional regulation. Overall, these findings reveal that the proposed program is effective in enhancing young adults’ psychological resilience and in developing their self-help skills. Recommendations for further research include expanding the sample size and including diverse groups to generalize the findings.