The effectiveness of group training of cognitive behavioral therapy‑based stress management on anxiety, hardiness and self‑efficacy in female medical students

The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapies (CBTs) for anxiety, hardiness, and self‑efficacy in female students of Birjand University of Medical Sciences.

This was an interventional study. A sample of 30 participants were selected through the available sampling method and randomly assigned into experimental (CBT) and control groups (each group, 15 female student). The data collection instrument was the Beck Depression Inventory questionnaire. The questionnaires of Beck Anxiety Inventory, Ahvaz Hardiness Inventory, and Schwartz’s General Self‑Efficacy Scale were completed by all participants in two stages (pretest and posttest). A 6‑session protocol of cognitive behavioral group therapy was performed only on the experimental group. The data were analyzed using Kolmogorov–Smirnov, Levene’s F, Mbox, analysis of variance, and multivariate analysis of variance tests.

The intervention group showed that the mean of anxiety decreased, whereas (P < 0.001) the means of hardiness and self‑efficacy increased in the posttest for the experimental group (P < 0.001).

Based on the obtained results, it can be concluded that CBT is an effective treatment for anxiety, hardiness, and self‑efficacy. Therefore, through managing anxiety, the levels of hardiness and self‑efficacy can be increased in students of university to be able to cope with the different challenges in their life.