Effectiveness of EMDR-Focused Group Counseling in Reducing Exam Anxiety among Middle School Students

Exam anxiety is a critical challenge for students, mostly leading to adverse cognitive, affective, behavioral, and physiological consequences as well as diminished academic performance. In this respect, the current study examines the effectiveness of an eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) focused group counseling program in reducing exam anxiety among middle school students preparing for the high school entrance exam. Based on scores from the Westside Test Anxiety Scale, out of 292 students, 54 were identified as having high exam anxiety. Using a semi-experimental pre-test and post-test design with experimental and control groups, the study was carried out with 20 seventh and eighth grade students who met the inclusion criteria. The intervention was administered by a trained EMDR therapist employing the EMDR Group Traumatic Episode Protocol (G-TEP). Findings indicated that the experimental group, where the EMDR program was implemented, had significantly lower exam anxiety scores compared to the control group. These findings reveal the potential of EMDR as a promising approach for school-based mental health programs. Future research should investigate the long-term effects of EMDR in school settings and its broader applications in decreasing anxiety-related matters among students.