Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy with an Islamic Approach on Female High School Students’ Social Anxiety

In this study, the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy with Islamic approach on social anxiety of the first and second period high school female students in the 2019-2020 school year was investigated.

The research method was a mixed one (qualitative and quantitative). The first part of the research (preparation of a cognitive-behavioral package with an Islamic approach) was performed qualitatively using the analysis of religious propositions. To investigate the validity of the package, some religious experts were asked to give comments on rightness of traditional readings by scholars and the accordance of the suggested techniques in the Islamic cognitive-behavioral package with the objectives of each session. The quantitative part was of quasi-experimental type consisted of two cognitive-behavioral groups with an Islamic approach and a control group. Among those who referred to the Education Counseling center in Kerman city with a complaint of social anxiety, 36 persons were studied by available sampling method, and 18 subjects were randomly assigned to each group. The data collection tool was the social panic questionnaire of Connor et al (2000). Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, univariate analysis of covariance and SPSS-22 software.

The findings showed that cognitive-behavioral therapy with Islamic approach significantly reduces students’ social anxiety (P<0/001).

Based on this study, it can be suggested that this treatment be used to reduce students’ social anxiety.