The Effect of Group Reality Therapy on the Symptoms of Stress and Stress Coping Strategies among Girls

This study aims to identify the effects of reality therapy on the symptoms of stress and stress coping strategies among adolescent artist girls. The statistical population of this quasi-experimental study(pretest-posttest using control group) included all vocational school students of Roudehen in 2014. Using convenience sampling¡ 100 students were selected from Novin Afarin and Mobtakeran vocational schools. The samples then answered the Stress Symptoms Inventory and Adolescent Coping Scale(ACS). Among them¡ 20 students with higher scores were randomly divided into two experimental and control groups(each group including 10 students). After ten 120minute reality therapy sessions for the students of the experimental group and a 4-month follow-up¡ posttest was carried out. Mixed-design multivariate analysis of variance was used to analyze data. The findings showed that reality therapy had no effect on any of the symptoms of stress(physical¡ behavioral¡ and psycho-emotional) among adolescent artist girls. Reality therapy does not enhance effective coping strategies among adolescent artist girls. Reality therapy is not effective in reducing ineffective coping strategies among adolescent girls¡ either. It can only enhance reference to others coping strategies among them. According to the findings of this study¡ it can be concluded that on the whole¡ reality therapy training is not effective in reducing the symptoms of stress and changing coping strategies among adolescent artist girls.