The effectiveness of a cognitive behavioral counseling program in improving the level of social skills and reducing isolation behaviors among university students

Abstract

Introduction. Social skills are considered an influential factor in the adaptation of individuals and their enjoyment of mental health, and the lack of these skills negatively affects the individual’s various performances: professional, academic, family, and societal, which may lead individuals to isolation, introversion and a feeling of inferiority and inferiority. Cognitivebehavioral therapy contributes to developing communication skills, training to solve problems in an effective manner, and reducing behavioral problems in particular, represented by isolation and introversion. The current study aimed at investigating the effectiveness of a cognitive-behavioral counseling program in improving the level of social skills and reducing isolation behaviors among university students. Study participants and methods. The study sample consisted of (24) first-year students who obtained high scores on the isolation scale and low scores on the social skills scale used in the current study. The study sample was divided into two groups: an experimental group (n=12), and its members received a group counseling program based on cognitive behavioral therapy for a period of (7) weeks, with two sessions per week, and a control group (n=12) students, whose individuals did not receive the cognitive behavioral counseling program. The performance of members of the experimental and control groups was measured on the social skills scale and the isolation scale pre and post the counseling intervention. Results. The results of the study showed the effectiveness of the counseling program in improving the level of social skills and reducing isolation behaviors in favor of the members of the experimental group. The results of the study showed that there were significant statistical difference between the experimental group and the control group in the post-measurement of the social skills (p=0.04) and the isolation behaviors (p=0.05) in favor of the experimental group who received the cognitive behavioral training program. Based on these results, the researcher recommends working on developing and building counseling programs aimed at improving the level of social skills and reducing Isolation on the basis of other therapeutic and counseling approaches, such as narrative therapy, emotion-centered therapy, and psychological drama, and work on building counseling programs targeting parents and families with the aim of educating parents and teachers about the importance of developing social skills, and the seriousness of the shortcomings of those social skills. Practical significance. This study investigated the effectiveness of a cognitive behavioral program on improving social skills and reducing isolation behaviors among university students. The significance of this study stems from providing an interventional procedure that might improve the social skills and the adjustment of a significant category in the community, which is the youth category in higher education institutions.