Can Psychodrama Improve Aggressive Behavior and Social Adaptation in Adolescent Boys?

This randomized controlled trial was conducted in 2023 among male adolescents aged 11-15 years at a public secondary school in Bandar Abbas, a tropical hot desert region in southern Iran. Students were screened using the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ) and the Bell Adjustment Inventory (BAI). Those with high aggression (BPAQ >117) and low social adjustment (BAI score 16-20) were eligible.

Twenty-two students meeting eligibility criteria were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either the psychodrama intervention group (n=11) or the comparison group (n=11). One participant in the intervention group dropped out, resulting in final analysis of 21 participants.

The intervention consisted of 10 weekly 90-minute psychodrama sessions based on Blatner's protocol, including role-playing, mirroring, soliloquy, storytelling, future projection, and relaxation exercises. The comparison group received no intervention during the study period but was offered the program after study completion.

Primary outcomes were aggression (measured by BPAQ) and social adjustment (measured by BAI), assessed at baseline and post-intervention. Data were analyzed using ANCOVA and repeated measures ANOVA.

Inclusion criteria

• Male, 7th or 8th-grade student (aged 11-13).
• BPAQ score > 117.
• BAI score between 16 and 20.
• Able to commute to after-school classes.
• Parental informed consent obtained.

Exclusion criteria

• Physical disability or severe illness.
• History of major psychiatric disorders or current psychiatric medication use.
• Unwillingness to participate or missing >2 sessions.