Investigation of the effects of an anger management training program on aggressiveness and social problem-solving skills among nursing students with high levels of aggression: a randomized controlled trial

Violence against others is recognized worldwide as a significant public health and safety issue. Violent behavior and problems related to anger management, particularly among adolescents and young adults, are on the rise. Therefore, training in basic self-regulation skills, promoting social relationships, and improving social problem-solving skills plays a crucial role in anger management. The aim of this study is therefore to investigate the effects of an anger management training program on the aggression levels and social problem-solving skills of nursing students with high levels of aggression at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. This study was a randomized controlled trial with a pre-posttest design and a control group. In this study, 40 nursing students from the Fatemeh School of Nursing and Midwifery were assigned to either an intervention group (n = 20) or a control group (n = 20) using simple randomization. The intervention group participated in aggression management training consisting of four 90-minute group workshops, one individual counseling session, and daily motivational text messages over a period of 10 days. The control group did not receive any training. Both groups completed questionnaires on aggression and social problem solving at three points in time: before the intervention, immediately after the intervention, and one month after the intervention. Data analysis was performed using SPSS Version 22 software, with a significance level set at less than 0.05. The results showed that group-based training in anger management significantly reduced aggression scores (P < 0.0001) and increased social problem-solving skills scores (P < 0.0001) in the intervention group compared to the pretest. These changes remained stable at the one-month follow-up. Given the high prevalence of aggression among adolescents and young adults and the positive effects of anger management training programs on reducing tension, regulating emotions, and improving healthy coping strategies and problem-solving skills in this age group, it is recommended that policymakers and university administrators introduce anger management training programs to improve students’ psychological adjustment and emotional resilience. This research project was registered at the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials with code IRCT20220413054521N2- Date of registration 2021-05-25.