Effectiveness of Group Cinematherapy for Nonclinical Adolescents: Strengths-Based Recommendations for Future Research

Cinematherapy involves the intentional watching and discussion of films for their therapeutic value. Thus, it is a technique commonly used in counseling, coaching or psychotherapeutic settings. While its effectiveness with clinical populations across all ages has been well-documented, its effectiveness with nonclinical samples is less understood. To this end, a systematic literature review was completed to assess the state of the literature regarding cinematherapy applications with non-clinical populations. The initial review was completed in 2023 as part of an educational effort about cinematherapy. The database created for this project was searched more recently for nonclinical studies with adolescents, working from the rationale that cinematherapy effectively encourages identification with film protagonists, and this identification, in turn, encourages the integration of character strengths into the viewer’s identity. Because adolescents (12-18 years old) generally grapple with identity issues, it was hypothesized that positive-psychology-based cinematherapy would be effective for this population. An initial study sample size of n=28 group interventions was culled down to n=9 studies which focused on nonclinical adolescents, mostly from Indonesian junior high schools. Interventions were mostly based on classical guidance, targeting psychosocial issues like prosocial behavior (n=4 studies). However, early marriage risks (n=1), academic and social anxiety (n=2), and problem-solving and self-confidence issues (n=2) were also common targets. No studies relied on positive psychology as a guiding framework, limiting understanding of how a non-pathologizing, strengths-focused approach would significantly improve treatment targets established for these studies compared to as-is condition. However, results suggest that cinematherapy is effective for nonclinical adolescents, though more standardized treatment methods and documentation are needed to understand the full effect of the intervention.

Keywords: cinematherapy, positive psychology, problem-solving, self-confidence, psychosocial interventions, nonclinical adolescents, education

cinematherapy, positive psychology, problem-solving, self-confidence, psychosocial interventions, nonclinical adolescents, education

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