[Project adventure with adolescents: influence on psychopathology and self-esteem]

In the following study the influence of project adventure on the sense of self-image and psychosocial state of adolescents of the 7th grade were studied (N = 122). A pre-post study design was chosen involving control group with three time points of evaluation. For the group of intervention school physical education was replaced by project adventure for a period of six months. The control students attended physical education as usual. The intervention group was compared with the control group using two methods of testing (Frankfurter Selbstkonzeptskalen by Deusinger, Fragebogen für Jugendliche by Döpfner). After the project the intervention group reached higher values in some areas of self-esteem. Regarding the psycho-social areas of aggression, depression/fear and social problems these students scored lower than students of the control group. Overall differences related to gender were found in the self-esteem ratings. Gender-differences on the effect of the intervention were reflected by the scale of psycho-social symptoms. These first observations that youths are positively influenced by participation in project adventure in the areas evaluated should be validated through further comprehensive studies.