The Impact of Problem-Solving Skills Training on Rumination and Anxiety Sensitivity in Students with Clinical Levels of Aggression

Background: Students with clinical symptoms of aggression often experience difficulties with rumination and anxiety sensitivity, which can exacerbate their aggressive behaviors. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of problem-solving skills training on rumination and anxiety sensitivity in students with clinical symptoms of aggression.Methods: This quasi-experimental study employed a pre-test, post-test control group design with a one-month follow-up period. The study population consisted of female students exhibiting aggressive behaviors who sought assistance from educational counseling centers in Ahvaz, Iran, during the year 2023. Fifty female students meeting these criteria were recruited via convenience sampling and randomly assigned to either an experimental or a control group (n=25 per group) using a random number table. The experimental group received six 90-minute sessions of problem-solving skills training, conducted once per week. Rumination and anxiety sensitivity were assessed using the Ruminative Response Scale (RRS) and Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI), respectively. Repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted using SPSS version 25 to analyze the pre-test, post-test, and follow-up data.Results: At baseline, the experimental and control groups exhibited comparable mean rumination scores (63.72±2.49 vs. 65.00±3.15, respectively; P=0.118). Post-intervention, the experimental group demonstrated a significant reduction in rumination scores (53.00±2.43; P<0.001), whereas the scores in the control group remained relatively stable (65.24±3.41; P=0.797). This resulted in a significant between-group difference in rumination scores at post-test (P=0.001). At pre-test, the experimental group and control group had similar mean anxiety sensitivity scores (49.12±5.74 vs. 48.28±5.34, respectively; P=0.595). Following the intervention, the problem-solving skills training group showed a significant reduction in anxiety sensitivity scores (28.96±4.13; P<0.001), while the scores in the control group remained stable (47.44±5.31; P=0.579). This resulted in a significant betweengroup difference in anxiety sensitivity scores at post-test (P=0.001).Conclusions: Problem-solving skills training emerges as an effective intervention for mitigating rumination and anxiety sensitivity among aggressive female students. The findings of this study add to the increasing body of research advocating the efficacy of this approach in addressing a range of psychological issues.