Effects of an Empowerment Program on Promoting Self-reliance Among Low-income Welfare Recipients in Korea: A Repeated-measures Design.

PURPOSE: This study examined the effectiveness of an empowerment program based on reality therapy in helping low-income welfare recipients become self-reliant.

METHODS

This study used a repeated-measures design with a control group. Sixty-four participants were selected through convenience sampling from among welfare recipients who accessed self-sufficiency services at local self-sufficiency centers. The empowerment program consisted of eight sessions. The outcome variables were self-sufficiency motivation, self-esteem, and empowerment. Data were collected at baseline, immediately after intervention, and 4 weeks after intervention, and were analyzed using the independent t-test, χ2 test, or Fisher's exact test, and generalized estimating equations (GEE).

RESULTS

GEE revealed significant group × time interaction effects on self-sufficiency motivation, self-esteem, and empowerment, after adjusting the baseline scores for the three outcome variables.

CONCLUSION

The developed empowerment program significantly improved self-sufficiency motivation, self-esteem, and empowerment among welfare recipients who accessed self-sufficiency services at local self-sufficiency centers. This study provides direction for the development of psychosocial empowerment programs to help welfare recipients become self-reliant. Future research should focus on the long-term effects of this empowerment program.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was retrospectively registered with the Clinical Research Information Service of Korea (https://cris.nih.go.kr) under the registration number KCT0009782 on September 10, 2024.