Comparison of the effectiveness of mindfulness-based therapy (MBCT) on negative spontaneous thoughts and coping strategies to avoid and perceived stress of entrance exam candidates with physical symptoms

Abstract

Background and Aim: Anger is a perfectly normal and usually useful emotion, but it can have adverse effects on interpersonal relationships if it is not properly managed. Rapid anger and loss of control can have devastating effects; hence, the present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of anger management training in improving emotional intelligence and ego-identity in adolescents. Methods: The research design was applied in terms of purpose and semi-experimental in terms of implementation method with a pretest-posttest design and a control group. To this end, 30 members of the first-grade high school students were selected by the convenience sampling method using random assignment, and 15 students were assigned to the experimental group and 15 in the control group. The research tools included the Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i), and the Measure of Ego-identity Status by Adams and Bennion (1998). The experimental group underwent anger management training for 12 sessions per week and no intervention was performed for the control group. Data analysis was performed by multivariate analysis of covariance. Results: The results indicated that there was not any significant difference between the experimental and control groups at the post-test stage in terms of emotional intelligence (F=0.06 and P>0.80), but there was a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in terms of ego-identity (F=4.88 and P<0.03). Conclusion: The results indicated that anger management training did not have any significant effect on emotional intelligence, and also the anger management training had a significant effect on ego-identity. Therefore, it is suggested that anger management training programs should be held at schools so that students can achieve the desired identity.