To determine the effectiveness of emotion-focused therapy on reducing test anxiety and rumination, and increasing self-efficacy and academic resilience in sixth-grade female elementary school students with clinical symptoms of test anxiety in Ahvaz city.
Design
A controlled clinical trial with parallel groups, single-blind, randomized, on 60 students. The rand function of Excel software was used for randomization.
Settings and conduct
This study is conducted to investigate the effectiveness of EFT in reducing test anxiety and improving related psychological indicators among sixth-grade female students in Ahvaz. Treatment sessions will be held in school counseling centers or psychological clinics in the city. The evaluators (the people who collect and analyze the questionnaires) will be unaware of the group to which each student belongs in order to reduce possible bias in the results.
Participants/Inclusion and exclusion criteria
Sixth grade female students in Ahvaz
Clinical diagnosis of test anxiety syndrome
Informed consent from students and their parents is required for participation in the study.
Failure to provide consent from the student or parent will prevent entry into the study.
Intervention groups
Intervention group (Emotionally Focused Therapy or EFT): In this group, female students undergo sessions of emotion-focused therapy. These sessions are designed to help students identify, understand, accept, and regulate their emotions.
Control group: In this group, no specific intervention is given. In other words, students in this group are in their normal circumstances and do not receive any type of therapy or education related to the study topic.
Main outcome variables
Test Anxiety
Academic Self-Efficacy
Academic Resilience
Ruminating
General information
Reason for update
Acronym
IRCT registration information
IRCT registration number:IRCT20250702066337N1
Registration date:2025-08-15, 1404/05/24
Registration timing:prospective
Last update:2025-08-15, 1404/05/24
Update count:0
Registration date
2025-08-15, 1404/05/24
Registrant information
Name
Rezvan mohamadalinezhad
Name of organization / entity
Country
Iran (Islamic Republic of)
Phone
+98 61 4352 1611
Email address
mehrdinanz@gmail.com
Recruitment status
Recruitment complete
Funding source
Expected recruitment start date
2025-09-21, 1404/06/30
Expected recruitment end date
2026-03-20, 1404/12/29
Actual recruitment start date
empty
Actual recruitment end date
empty
Trial completion date
empty
Scientific title
Studying the effectiveness of emotion-focused therapy on test anxiety, academic self-efficacy, academic resilience, and rumination in students
Public title
Studying the effectiveness of emotion-focused therapy on test anxiety, academic self-efficacy, and academic resilience
Purpose
Education/Guidance
Inclusion/Exclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria:
Sixth grade female students in Ahvaz city
Clinical diagnosis of test anxiety syndrome
Obtaining informed consent from students and their parents to participate in the study
Exclusion criteria:
Parental divorce
Drug addiction
Age
From 10 years old to 15 years old
Gender
Female
Phase
N/A
Groups that have been masked
Outcome assessor
Data analyser
Data and Safety Monitoring Board
Sample size
Target sample size:
60
Randomization (investigator's opinion)
Randomized
Randomization description
In this study, participants (sixth grade female students with clinical symptoms of test anxiety) were randomly assigned to two intervention groups (emotion-focused therapy) and control groups (recipients of the usual school intervention) using the RAND function in Excel software (or a random number table) after initial screening and meeting the entry requirements.
Blinding (investigator's opinion)
Single blinded
Blinding description
Blinding: Due to the nature of the intervention (emotion-focused therapy), blinding of participants or therapists is not possible. However, efforts will be made to ensure that outcome assessors are unaware of the group to which participants are assigned. This will be done by separating the assessors from the treatment process and concealing information about the treatment group from them.
Placebo
Not used
Assignment
Parallel
Other design features
Secondary Ids
empty
Ethics committees
1
Ethics committee
Name of ethics committee
Ethics Committee of Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz Branch
Street address
Islamic Azad University Ahvaz Branch، Farhangshahr، Golestan Highway
City
Ahvaz
Province
Khouzestan
Postal code
3733361349
Approval date
2025-05-15, 1404/02/25
Ethics committee reference number
IR.IAU.AHVAZ.REC.1404.190
Health conditions studied
1
Description of health condition studied
Exam anxiety
ICD-10 code
F41.1
ICD-10 code description
Generalized anxiety disorder
Primary outcomes
1
Description
Exam anxiety
Timepoint
At the beginning of the study (before the intervention) and after two months and the end of the last intervention session
Method of measurement
Test Anxiety Questionnaire
Secondary outcomes
1
Description
Academic self-efficacy
Timepoint
At the beginning of the study (before the intervention) and after two months and the end of the last intervention session
Method of measurement
پرسشنامه خودکارآمدی تحصیلی:توسط زاجاکوا و همکاران (2005)
2
Description
Academic resilience
Timepoint
At the beginning of the study (before the intervention) and after two months and the end of the last intervention session
Method of measurement
پرسشنامه تاب تحصیلی توسط مارتین (2001)
3
Description
Rumination
Timepoint
At the beginning of the study (before the intervention) and after two months and the end of the last intervention session
Method of measurement
پرسشنامه نشخوار فکری:این پرسشنامه توسط نولن-هوکسما و مارو (1991)
Intervention groups
1
Description
Intervention group: Emotion-focused therapy is a psychotherapy approach that focuses on identifying, experiencing, regulating, and changing emotions as the primary agents of change in treatment. In this study, EFT is used as an educational intervention to reduce test anxiety and improve its associated variables (self-efficacy, resilience, rumination) in female students. EFT is likely to include components such as emotion awareness training, emotion regulation, cognitive restructuring, and behavioral exercises.
Category
N/A
2
Description
Control group: The purpose of having a control group is to provide a basis for comparison. By comparing the results of the group receiving EFT (the intervention group) with the group not receiving EFT (the control group), researchers can assess whether EFT is effective in improving the variables of interest (test anxiety, academic self-efficacy, academic resilience, and rumination). Typically, the control group either receives no intervention (the waitlist control group) or receives another intervention, known as standard treatment or control treatment.
Category
N/A
Recruitment centers
1
Recruitment center
Name of recruitment center
Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz Unit
Full name of responsible person
Sasan Bavi
Street address
Islamic Azad University Ahvaz Branch، Farhangshahr، Golestan Highway
City
Ahvaz
Province
Khouzestan
Postal code
3733361349
Phone
+98 61 3334 8420
Email
info@iauahvaz.ac.ir
Sponsors / Funding sources
1
Sponsor
Name of organization / entity
Islamic Azad University
Full name of responsible person
Pejman Taghipour Birgani
Street address
Islamic Azad University Ahvaz Branch، Farhangshahr، Golestan Highway
City
Ahvaz
Province
Khouzestan
Postal code
3733361349
Phone
+98 61 3334 8420
Email
info@iauahvaz.ac.ir
Grant name
Grant code / Reference number
Is the source of funding the same sponsor organization/entity?
Yes
Title of funding source
Islamic Azad University
Proportion provided by this source
100
Public or private sector
Public
Domestic or foreign origin
Domestic
Category of foreign source of funding
empty
Country of origin
Type of organization providing the funding
Academic
Person responsible for general inquiries
Contact
Name of organization / entity
Islamic Azad University
Full name of responsible person
Sasan Bavi
Position
Associate Professor
Latest degree
Ph.D.
Other areas of specialty/work
Psychology
Street address
Islamic Azad University Ahvaz Branch، Farhangshahr، Golestan Highway
City
Ahvaz
Province
Khouzestan
Postal code
3733361349
Phone
+98 916 607 5133
Email
info@iauahvaz.ac.ir
Person responsible for scientific inquiries
Contact
Name of organization / entity
Islamic Azad University
Full name of responsible person
Sasan Bavi
Position
Associate professor
Latest degree
Ph.D.
Other areas of specialty/work
Psychology
Street address
Islamic Azad University Ahvaz Branch، Farhangshahr، Golestan Highway