A coping‐oriented group intervention for students waiting to undergo secondary school transition: Effects on coping strategies, self‐esteem, and social anxiety symptoms

Abstract

To facilitate students’ transition into secondary school, a coping‐oriented group program was designed. Pre‐ and posttest data from three intervention groups conducted over the course of 5 weeks were combined for a total of 56 sixth‐grade students waiting to undergo school transition. There was also a test–retest control group (n = 26). Results indicate that completion of the intervention led to a significant decrease on scales measuring self‐reported social anxiety symptoms. There was also a significant increase in intervention participants’ self‐reported self‐esteem, likeability, adherence to social rules, and frequency of active coping strategies, compared with the control group. Furthermore, a regression analysis showed that change in the self‐reported use of active coping strategies predicted change in social anxiety symptoms for the intervention group. However, no significant change in self‐reported use of passive‐avoidant coping was observed. We conclude that facilitating effective coping with stress may provide a highly beneficial perspective toward designing transition groups, that may also lead to a significant reduction in social anxiety symptoms in adolescents waiting to undergo secondary school transition.

The Effect of COVID-19 Anxiety on General Health: the Role of COVID-19 Coping

“…Past research has also showed that coping is an important factor in contributing psychosocial and physical health of individuals (Yıldırım 2019 ). Individuals high in adaptive coping strategies experience less depression (Erickson and Feldstein, 2007 ), anxiety (Brouzos et al 2020 ), and stress (Viana Machado et al 2020 ) and greater psychological well-being (Mayordomo et al 2016 ).…”

“…Adaptive coping (i.e. problems-focused and positive reappraisal coping strategies) has been found to be negatively related with depressive symptoms (Erickson & Feldstein 2007 ), anxiety (Brouzos et al 2020 ), and stress (Viana Machado et al 2020 ). Maladaptive coping strategies (i.e.…”

“…Maladaptive coping strategies (i.e. emotional and avoidance coping strategies) were negatively associated with psychological well-being and resilience (Mayordomo et al 2016 ), humour and adjustment (Erickson and Feldstein 2007 ), optimism (Scheier et al 1986 ), and self-esteem (Brouzos et al 2020 ). Accordingly, identifying coping strategies used in response to infectious disease outbreaks is critical to support the general public in tackling with the pandemic.…”

The Effect of COVID-19 Anxiety on General Health: The Role of COVID-19 Coping

“…Adaptive coping (i.e., problems-focused and positive reappraisal coping strategies) has been found to be negatively related with depressive symptoms (Erickson, & Feldstein, 2007), anxiety (Brouzos, Vassilopoulos, Vlachioti & Baourda, 2020), and stress (Viana Machado et al, 2020). Maladaptive coping strategies (i.e., emotional and avoidance coping strategies) were negatively associated with psychological well-being and resilience (Mayordomo et al, 2016), humor and adjustment (Erickson, & Feldstein, 2007), optimism (Scheier, Weintraub, & Carver, 1986), and self-esteem (Brouzos et al, 2020). Accordingly, identifying coping strategies used in response to infectious disease outbreaks is critical to support the general public in tackling with the pandemic.…”

Relationship between intensity of fear and coping-strategies implemented by high-school and university students

“…Specially organized help and support from specially trained psychologists is required in cases when a person uses predominantly non-adaptive strategies, or if the existing fears are too strong and prolonged. Examples of such counseling can be found in the work of Brouzos, A., Vassilopoulos, S.P., Vlachioti, A., Baourda, V. [15]: authors describe positive results of coping -wise group therapy of aide for adoloscents to tackle their anxiety, when moving to secondary school. Ruocco, S., Freeman, N.C., McLean, L.A. [16] experimentally demonstrated that 1-hour sessions of the cognitive-behavioral group training "Get Lost Mr Scary" helped young children to drastically decrease the use of non-adaptive strategies such as avoidance and to increase the application of adaptive cognitive strategies.…”