The Effect of an Anxiety-Coping Program for Children Based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on 4th Graders’ Anxiety Levels

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of an anxiety-coping program for children based on cognitive behavioral therapy on children’s anxiety levels. The study was conducted with 12 students in the fourth grade of primary school. Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders (SCARED) was during the study for data collection. Students in the experimental group participated in a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy based anxiety coping program consisting of eight sessions. No study was conducted with the students in the control group. A mixed design of 2x3 was used in the study. Follow-up measurement was performed six months after the study was completed. In the analysis of the data, Mann Whitney U test and Friedman test were used. As a result of the analysis, a significant decrease was observed in the general anxiety, general anxiety disorder, separation anxiety and social anxiety levels of the participants in the experiment group after the intervention which continued during the follow-up period. Furthermore there was no statistically significant decrease in panic disorder/somatic symptoms and school phobia levels of the participants in the experimental group. The findings indicated that the anxiety-coping program for children based on cognitive behavioral therapy is effective in terms of decreasing the anxiety levels of children.