The Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Focused on Problem Solving on Loneliness

Background & aim: Loneliness is a serious personal and social problem that affects people's attitudes about themselves and the meaning of their lives, and is a threat to mental health, wellbeing, and psychosocial functioning.Hence, the aim of the present study was to determine and investigate the effectiveness of problem-solving-focused cognitive behavioral therapy on loneliness in students with aggressive behaviors. Methods:In the present semi-experimental study conducted in the academic year 2023, a pre-test and post-test with experimental and control groups and a two-month follow-up period was taken.The statistical population included junior high school students aged 13 to 15 in Neyshabur, Iran.In order to sample two schools, a convenience sampling method was used, and after administering the Buss and Perry aggression questionnaire, 30 students scoring 75 or higher on this scale were randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups.Members of both groups answered the UCLA Loneliness Questionnaire at two stages: pre-test, post-test (after 8 treatment sessions) and follow-up.Statistical data were evaluated using SPSS26 software and two-way repeated measures analysis of variance. Results:The statistical analysis of the data indicated that Cognitive behavioral therapy focused on problem solving had a significant effect (p<0.01) on loneliness in students with aggressive behaviors.And the level of loneliness in the intervention group decreased compared to the control group, and this result was repeated at the two-month follow-up. Conclusion:The results of the present study revealed that cognitive behavioral therapy focused on problem solving by teaching attitude change, encouraging positive self-talk, and emphasizing the use of new strategies could have a significant impact on reducing the loneliness component of students with aggressive behaviors, helping them improve social skills and manage aggressive behaviors, and providing a basis for improving the behavior of these students.