The Effectiveness of School-Based Trauma-Focused Group Psychotherapy on Post-Traumatic Growth and Psychological Adjustment among Students Exposed to War Trauma

Abstract

The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of school-based trauma-focused group psychotherapy on post-traumatic growth and psychological adjustment among students exposed to war trauma. This applied study used a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design with a control group. The statistical population consisted of secondary school students in Saveh during the 2025–2026 academic year who had been directly or indirectly exposed to war-related traumatic events. Thirty eligible students were selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned to an experimental group and a control group, with 15 participants in each group. The experimental group received eight 90-minute sessions of school-based trauma-focused group psychotherapy, whereas the control group received no structured intervention during the study period. Data were collected using the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory and the Adjustment Inventory for School Students. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 27, multivariate analysis of covariance, and follow-up univariate analyses of covariance. Multivariate analysis of covariance showed that, after controlling for pretest scores, the overall effect of group membership on the combined dependent variables of post-traumatic growth and psychological adjustment was statistically significant (Wilks’ Lambda=0.261, F(2,25)=35.41, p<0.001, ηp²=0.739). Follow-up univariate analyses also indicated that the intervention significantly increased post-traumatic growth (F(1,26)=71.61, p<0.001, ηp²=0.734) and significantly improved psychological adjustment (F(1,26)=59.06, p<0.001, ηp²=0.694). School-based trauma-focused group psychotherapy appears to be an effective intervention for improving post-traumatic growth and psychological adjustment among students exposed to war trauma. By facilitating emotional regulation, cognitive processing of traumatic experiences, social support, meaning reconstruction, and a greater sense of personal control, this intervention may contribute to both positive psychological transformation and improved adaptation. Its integration into school-based mental health and counseling services may therefore be particularly beneficial in settings affected by war and collective trauma.