A study concerning the role of spiritually integrated group counselling among mothers who have special needs children religious coping, psychological well-being and anxiety levels

The aim of this study is to examine the effects of a group guidance program with spiritual content applied to mothers of children with special needs on their religious coping, psychological well-being and state-trait anxiety levels. The study was designed according to the explanatory, sequential, mixed design, in which quantitative data and then qualitative data are analysed. In the study, 66 mothers of children with special needs were reached and 24 mothers were assigned to experimental and control groups according to inclusion criteria. Socio-Demographic Information Form, Religious Coping Scale, Psychological Well-Being Scale and State-Trait Anxiety Scale were applied to the participants. While no action was taken with the control group participants, a group guidance program with a spiritual content of 10 sessions was held with the participants of the experimental group. In order to measure the effect of the program 1 and 3 months after the end of the sessions, the scales were reapplied to both groups as follow-up. For the quantitative data, the Mann-Whitney U test and the Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test were used. Qualitative data were obtained as a result of 45 minutes of individual interviews with members of the experimental group after the program was completed, and they were analysed by descriptive analysis. According to the quantitative findings of the research, there was a significant increase in the positive religious coping levels of the experimental group participants and this increase was preserved in follow-up measurements. There was a significant difference in the levels of negative religious coping after the application and this decremental difference continued in follow-up measurements. There was a significant increase in the psychological well-being levels and this increase also showed continuity in follow-up measurements. A significant decrease occurred in the trait anxiety scores between pre- and post-application and the first follow-up; however, this significance did not continue in the second follow-up measurement. According to the qualitative findings of the study, the experimental group participants repeatedly expressed their satisfaction regarding the group guidance program with spiritual content both in the process and in individual interviews. The participants stated that they began to express themselves better, improved interpersonal relations, managed their concerns better, took steps for new experiences, were accepted and cared for by other group members, and had the opportunity to resolve their spiritual conflicts. They said that they were better understood thanks to the existence of spiritual elements in the applied program and that the people in the program tried to support them with a holistic perspective.