The Efficiency of Problem-Solving Story Therapy on Separation Anxiety Disorder and Bilateral Attachment in Primary School Children

Abstract

Background: Separation anxiety disorder (SAD) is a type of anxiety that may occur in primary school children and may negatively affect their academic performance and social relationships. Therefore, treating SAD with various methods, especially non-pharmacological methods, is necessary. Objectives: The main aim of the present study was to determine the effectiveness of problem-solving story therapy (PSST) on SAD and bilateral attachment in primary school children in the form of an intervention study. Methods: This study was an experimental study conducted in Mashhad, Iran in 2023 using a pretest-posttest method. The statistical population of this study was primary school boys with SAD. Using purposive sampling, 30 students were selected and divided into a control group (n = 15) and an intervention group (n = 15). To collect the study findings, first the SAD and bilateral attachment status of both study groups were assessed, then PSST was administered to the intervention group. Subsequently, after the intervention, the status of the two aforementioned variables was assessed again for both study groups. Finally, the raw data were analyzed using SPSS version 24 software. Results: The findings of the present study showed that the implementation of PSST for primary school children with SAD had a significant effect on improving the components of SAD including separation distress, separation anxiety, and separation comfort. In addition, this treatment method had a significant and positive effect on the components of bilateral attachment including positive adaptive development, negative behaviors, emotional reactions, and avoidance of personal support. Conclusions: According to the findings, it can be concluded that PSST can be useful, along with pharmacological methods, for the treatment of SAD and also for improving bilateral attachment components in primary school children. Therefore, it is suggested that psychologists, educational counselors, and parents use PSST for children with SAD.