119. Effectiveness of a mental health-based intervention program for correcting first-time offenses among adolescents

Abstract Background First-time offending among adolescents is often influenced by multiple factors, including insufficient emotional management skills, weak impulse control, negative peer influence, and poor family communication. Traditional correctional approaches mainly rely on disciplinary constraints and behavioral punishment, which fail to address the underlying psychological causes of misconduct, leading to behavioral relapse or poor post-intervention adjustment. In recent years, mental health–oriented intervention models centered on emotional regulation training, cognitive-behavioral correction, and family system support have shown increasing feasibility and sustainability; however, evidence regarding their effectiveness specifically for first-time adolescent offenders remains limited. This study evaluated the effectiveness of an integrated mental health intervention in improving behavioral outcomes among adolescents with first-time offenses, aiming to examine its impact on emotional regulation, impulse control, and family functioning. Methods A total of 120 adolescents documented for their first illegal or rule-violating behavior were recruited from a juvenile correctional institution and randomly assigned to the mental health intervention group (n = 60) and the control group (n = 60). The intervention group received an 8-week integrated program, including emotional regulation training, impulse control training, cognitive-behavioral restructuring, family communication counseling, and peer-support workshops. The control group received routine safety education and disciplinary instruction. Before and after the intervention, participants were assessed on behavioral problem severity (Youth Self-Report, YSR), impulse control (Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11th Edition, BIS-11), emotional regulation ability (Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale-Short Form, DERS-SF), and family functioning (Family Assessment Device, FAD). Recidivism within 6 months after the intervention was also recorded. Statistical analyses included paired t-tests, between-group comparisons, and logistic regression. Results After 8 weeks, the YSR behavioral problem score in the intervention group decreased from 63.42 ± 7.15 to 51.87 ± 6.32, an 18.2% reduction, markedly greater than the 5.7% reduction in the control group (p<.001), indicating better improvement in impulsive behaviors, aggression, and rule-breaking. BIS-11 scores decreased from 72.63 ± 8.04 to 58.94 ± 7.28 in the intervention group (p<.001), achieving 2.6 times the improvement observed in the control group, suggesting that strengthened emotional and cognitive training directly contributed to the reduction of impulsive actions. DERS-SF scores decreased by 21.5% (p=.002), and FAD scores improved by 17.3% (p<.01), showing positive effects on emotional regulation and family communication. Follow-up results indicated that the 6-month recidivism rate in the intervention group was 8.3%, significantly lower than the 21.7% observed in the control group (p=.018), demonstrating that the intervention not only improved short-term behavior but also helped prevent behavioral relapse. Discussion The findings indicate that an integrated correction model based on mental health intervention can significantly improve behavioral outcomes in adolescents with first-time offenses, with particularly strong effects in emotional regulation, impulse control, and family interaction. The reduction in recidivism further suggests that effective correction requires strengthening internal self-regulation mechanisms and enhancing family support systems, rather than relying solely on external behavioral constraints. Moreover, the observed improvements highlight the importance of addressing psychological needs in a more comprehensive and developmentally appropriate manner. Future studies are recommended to examine the long-term effectiveness of such interventions and to develop extended training programs applicable to school and community settings for broader and more sustainable impact.