The Effect of Positive Existential Therapy and Iranian-Islamic Positive Therapy on Social Anxiety and Stress of Female Students with Social Anxiety

One of the areas where female students with social anxiety need helping to improve their health is to weaken their social anxiety and stress. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of positive existential therapy and Iranian-Islamic positive therapy on social anxiety and stress in female students with social anxiety. The research method was semi-experimental, and research design was three groups with two stages (pre-test and post-test design). In order to carry out the research, from 400 secondary school female students with social anxiety in Ardestan city in 2017, 45 female students were selected based on criteria of entry and exit and then randomly assigned in three groups; including two groups of positive existential therapy and Iranian-Islamic positive therapy (each group with 15 person) and control group (with 15 person). Social anxiety questionnaire and adolescent stress questionnaire were used to measure the dependent variables of the research in the pretest and post-test. The group of positive existential therapy received 10 sessions of treatment, group of Iranian-Islamic positive therapy received 11 sessions of treatment and the control group did not receive any treatment. The data were analyzed with the use of analysis of covariance. The results showed that there is a significant difference between the positive existential therapy and Iranian-Islamic positive therapy and control groups in social anxiety and stress in post-test after controlling for pretest (P < 0.001). Also there is a significant difference between positive existential therapy and Iranian-Islamic positive therapy in stress. Based on the findings of the research, it can be concluded that existential positive therapy and Iranian-Islamic positive treatment are two therapeutic methods that can help female students with social anxiety to overcome their anxiety and stress problems, and live with less stress and anxiety.