Investigating the Effectiveness of FRIENDS Program Training on the Anxiety of Children in Shiraz

Subject Areas : Psychological Models and Methods

mahmood Haidari ¹ , saeed Bakhtiyarpoor ² , behnam Makvandi ³ , farokh Naderi ⁴ , fariba hafezi ⁵

1 - گروه روانشناسی، پردیس علوم و تحقیقات خوزستان،دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی، اهواز، ایر ان و گروه روانشناسی ، واحد اهواز، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی، اهواز، ایران.
2 - گروه روان شناسی، واحد اهواز، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی، اهواز، ایران.
3 - گروه روان شناسی، واحد اهواز، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی، اهواز، ایران.
4 - گروه روان شناسی، واحد اهواز، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی، اهواز، ایران.
5 - گروه روان شناسی، واحد اهواز، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی، اهواز، ایران.

Received: 2016-11-01 Accepted : 2016-11-01 Published : 2016-07-22

Keywords: anxiety, children, FRIENDS Program,

Abstract :

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the FRIENDS treatment program on the anxiety of children in Shiraz. Research methodology was a randomized pre-test and post-test type with a control group. Statistical population includes all boys and girls 9 to 11 years old of Shiraz elementary schools in the academic year 2014-2015 with a multi-stage random sampling  and by using the anxiety questionnaire of children, 20 students were selected and by  simple random sampling method were assigned to two groups of  test group (10 persons) and control group (10 persons). Test group was exposed to the training program of FRIENDS for 3 months and the control group didn’t receive any intervention. After 3 months and the end of program, the post-test was done and one month after the intervention, the follow-up was performed. Data analysis was performed by using T-test and multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA). Research results in line with other studies supported the decisive effectiveness of training program of FRIENDS on reducing the anxiety of children in post-test and follow-up stages. It was also determined that the most effectiveness in post-test stage on reducing the social anxiety in children, and in follow-up stage on reducing the social anxiety and stress was comprehensive. FRIENDS program can be taken into consideration as a preventive intervention to reduce the anxiety of children in Iranian society.

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