Compare the effects of group cognitive behavioral therapy and solution-focused short-term therapy on exam anxiety in high school students

Introduction and Aim: One of the most common concerns in adolescence is exam anxiety. The main purpose of this study is to compare the effects of group cognitive behavioral therapy and solution-focused short-term therapy on exam anxiety in high school students. Materials and Methods: The sample selection of the study was made according to the simple-random sample selection type. The population of the research consists of students studying at a private high school in Darıca district of Kocaeli province in the 2020-2021 academic year. The sample group of the research consists of 113 individuals who are 12th grade students studying in a private high school in Darıca district of Kocaeli province in the 2020-2021 academic year. Informed Consent Form, Personal Information Form, Family Consent Form, Scale-90 Scale, Health Anxiety Scale and Wetside Exam Anxiety Scale were used as data collection tools in that study. At the same time, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with Group and Solution Focused Short Term Therapy were applied to the students. The collected data were analyzed using the SPSS package program. Findings: According to the findings obtained from the research; When the West-Side Exam Anxiety Scale Scores of the Students Receiving Solution-Focused Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy were compared according to the Pre-Test-Post-Test Scores, it was observed that there was a decrease in the test anxiety post-test scores after solution-focused short-term therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy application. This shows that both therapy models are effective in reducing exam anxiety. When the effect of the control group, solution-focused short-term therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy on exam anxiety was examined, it was determined that the most effective method in reducing exam anxiety was solution-focused short-term therapy. Conclusion: In this context, the results of this research; Therapies are thought to help high school students while applying methods and techniques that will help them control their anxiety about exams and produce solutions when they are worried.