Comparison of Effectiveness of FRIENDS Program, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, and Aerobic Exercise on Students’ Psychological Well-being

Background: Psychoeducation and performing physical activity are believed to be the major duties of academic settings; these might have crucial roles in improving psychological condition of students. The present study was conducted to compare the effectiveness of FRIENDS psychoeducation, solution-focused brief counseling, and aerobic exercise on students’ psychological well-being. FRIENDS is acronym of Feeling, Remember to relax, Inner helpful thoughts, Explore solutions, Now reward yourself, Do it every day, and Smile and stay calm. Method: The present study was quasi-experimental research with pre-test and post-test follow-up stages and control groups in terms of implementation. The statistical population of this research included all 13 to 15-year-old male students at the first grade of Model State High School in Kahrizak Education District, Tehran, Iran during academic year of 2019- 2020. Forty students were selected as our sample with non-convenience sampling method utilizing G*Power software. The subjects were assigned randomly into four intervention groups. All the subjects administered Ryff Scale Psychological Wellbeing–Short Form (RSPWB-SF) as the research instrument and consent form. Results: Statistical analysis of the obtained data via ANCOVA showed a significant difference between the intervention groups in terms of personal growth subscale in the pre-test and follow-up stages (P=0/01); post hoc comparisons indicated that Solution-Focused Brief Therapy was more effective than other interventions. Moreover, ANCOVA indicated a significant difference between the intervention groups concerning self-acceptance subscale in the pre-test, post-test (p <0.001), and pretest-follow-up (p <0.001) stages; post hoc comparisons revealed that FRIENDS was more effective than aerobic intervention in both post-test and follow-up stages. Conclusion: Students could benefit from psychoeducation programs along with other regular tasks in academic settings in order to improve their psychological well-being.