The Effectiveness of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy on Psychological Distress and Puberty Health in Female Students with Anxiety Disorders in Gonaveh

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy in reducing psychological distress and improving puberty health among female students with anxiety disorders. This experimental study employed a pretest–posttest control-group design. The population consisted of female lower secondary students diagnosed with anxiety disorders in Gonaveh in 2024. From 60 volunteers, 30 students with severe anxiety scores were selected and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (15 participants each). The experimental group received six weekly 100-minute sessions of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, while the control group received no intervention. Psychological distress and puberty health were assessed using standardized questionnaires, and the data were analyzed using analysis of covariance. The results of the covariance analysis demonstrated significant differences between the experimental and control groups in psychological distress and puberty health after controlling for pretest scores (p < 0.001). The intervention produced a substantial reduction in psychological distress and a significant improvement in puberty health in the experimental group compared with the control group, with large effect sizes and high statistical power. Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy is an effective, low-cost, and practical intervention for reducing psychological distress and enhancing puberty health among adolescent girls with anxiety disorders and can be recommended for use in educational and counseling settings.