A Comparative Study of the Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment-Based Group Counseling and Group Narrative Therapy on Emotional and Behavioral Problems in Elementary School Girls from Single-Parent Families

Abstract

This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment-Based Group Counseling and Group Narrative Therapy on emotional-behavioral problems in elementary school girls from single-parent families in Nishapur. A quasi-experimental pretest–posttest control group design was used. The population included all elementary single-parent girls in Nishapur during the second semester of 2023–2024. Forty-five students (15 per group) were selected via convenience sampling and randomly assigned to two experimental groups and one control group. The first experimental group received 10 sessions (60 minutes each) of Acceptance and Commitment-Based Group Counseling, and the second received 9 sessions (90 minutes each) of Group Narrative Therapy. Data were collected using the Revised Behavior Problem Checklist (Quay & Peterson, 1987) and analyzed through multivariate and univariate covariance analyses using SPSS-23. Results indicated that both interventions significantly reduced emotional-behavioral problems (p<0.05, η²=0.20), while no significant difference was found between the two therapeutic approaches. Bonferroni post hoc tests revealed that both intervention groups outperformed the control group significantly. Both Acceptance and Commitment-Based Group Counseling and Group Narrative Therapy are effective in reducing emotional and behavioral problems in single-parent girls. These findings highlight the value of group-based psychological interventions focusing on emotional acceptance and narrative reconstruction for enhancing the mental health of vulnerable students.