Members’ perceptions of person-centered facilitative conditions and their role in outcome in a psychoeducational group for childhood social anxiety

Abstract

Research in counseling and psychotherapy groups firmly supports the view that a positive member-leader relationship is necessary for client change. However, studies that investigate the ingredients of this relationship are scarce. Forty elementary school children selected for displaying medium to high levels of social anxiety completed several scales measuring emotional traits, cognitions, and social skills, both before and after the termination of the intervention. The Barrett-Lennard Relationship Inventory tapping into members’ perception of facilitative attitudes of a leader (i.e. empathic understanding, congruence, and unconditional positive regard) was also administered twice (at session 3 and after the termination). It was found that a medium change in perception of group leader’s facilitative attitudes from the third to the last session was associated with the greatest reductions in social anxiety and depression scores. Moreover, children who perceived high group leader empathy, congruence, or regard at session 3 reported a significant increase in self-reported likeability, compared to children who evidenced a low perception of the same attitudes. The current findings appear to support the association of leader person-centered attitudes with counseling outcome in a psychoeducational group for social anxiety.