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| The Effect of Adopting Systematic Desensitization Therapy on the Social Anxiety of Senior Secondary School Adolescents in Delta State
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JACOB-KOLODI, Ejiro Praise, Prof. (Mrs.) E. E. Ebenuwa-Okoh, Prof. (Mrs.) F.N. Ugoji
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Abstract:
The study determined the effect of systematic desensitization therapy on the social anxiety of senior secondary school adolescents in Delta State. Three research questions and hypotheses guided the study. The study adopted a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial quasi-experimental and control research design. Delta State's population consists of 29,409 senior secondary school II (SS 2) students. This study's sample consists of 100 SS2 students recruited from two Delta State secondary schools using multi-stage techniques. The instrument for this study was a validated questionnaire titled the Social Anxiety Scale (SAS) and the Self-Concept Scale (SCS). The reliability of the instrument was determined using Cronbach Alpha, and reliability coefficient values of 0.94 and 0.93 were obtained for the Social Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Self-Concept Scale, respectively. The researcher administered a pretest to the respondents in the systematic desensitization group and the control group, followed by an 8-week treatment package of systematic desensitization therapy for the students in the experimental group. At the end of the treatment, a post-test using the Social Anxiety Scale (SAS) was administered to students in the experimental and control groups. The study employed a descriptive statistical analysis to answer the research question, and an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was computed and used to test hypotheses at a significance level of 0.05. The results indicate that there was a significant difference between the pretest and post-test social anxiety mean scores of students treated with systematic desensitization therapy and those in the control group. There was a significant difference in social anxiety mean scores for male and female adolescents treated with systematic desensitization therapy. There was a significant difference in social anxiety mean scores for high- and low-self-concept adolescents treated with systematic desensitization therapy. It was therefore concluded that systematic desensitization therapy significantly impacts social anxiety mean scores among students, and the effect varies across gender and self-concept levels. The findings suggest that schools' authorities should consider incorporating systematic desensitization therapy into their mental health support services to help students manage anxiety and improve their overall well-being.
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