Group Schema Therapy Training on Social Adjustment in Maladaptive Students

Social adjustment is a vital aspect of improved communication with the community and others. This is because human is a social being. Adolescent students experience various social disadvantages. In addition to creating family tension, these disagreements have affected the interaction types between students; they may extend to other social environments, especially at school. Ultimately, they may lead to challenges, like incompatibility with classmates and teachers that results in academic failure, dropout, anxiety, and reduced self–esteem. A major issue in schools is disregarding to help students encountering problems. Instead of being prepared to help those with disabilities or other problems, schools tend to distance themselves and explain themselves by excuses. Most schools seek strong, high–achieving students; they are often encouraged and honored. Students are often frustrated by the seemingly weak and low–achieving students. They inadvertently release and repress them. Numerous theoretical perspectives with different approaches seek to explain and resolve studentschr('39') incompatibility. One approach that has proven to be effective in multiple areas is the schema therapy proposed by Young et al. A benefit of the schema model is its complexity and depth, as a unique treatment. In other words, schemas, coping styles, and specific mentalities are displayed in this method. A major concern of schools is students’ incompatibility with the classroom. Studentschr('39') maltreatment and incompatibility affect the entire process of teaching, learning, and interpersonal relationships, leading to problems. Recognizing therapeutic approaches, like group schema therapy in the field of psychology and education as well as helping students with maladaptive problems is of significant importance. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate the effects of group schema therapy training on social adjustment among maladaptive students.

This was a quasi–experimental study with a pretest–post–test and a control group design. The statistical population of this study consisted of all female second–grade high–school students in Tehran City, Iran, in the academic year of 2019. Applying a random sampling technique, 30 maladaptive students were selected and divided into the experimental and control groups. The experimental group underwent ten 2–hour weekly sessions of group schema therapy training; however, the control group received no intervention. The California Social Adjustment Questionnaire was administered before and after training in both study groups. The obtained data were analyzed using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) with α=0.05.

The present study results revealed that group schema therapy training impacted social adjustment in the investigated maladaptive students (p<0.001).

Based on the obtained data, implementing schema therapy promotes positivity, responsibility, controlling impulses and emotions, respecting the rights of others, cooperating with school staff and teachers, Adhering to school rules and regulations, and adhering to the principles of underlying interpersonal relationships as the basis of healthy social interactions, which results in increased adaptability. Thus, teaching schema therapy techniques to maladaptive students could be an effective measure in improving their bio psychological health.