Design and Validation of Self-Esteem Training by McKay and Fanning Method and Its Effectiveness on Anxiety Sensitivity: Two-Month Follow-Up

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 PhD Student in Clinical Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Birjand Branch, Islamic Azad University, Birjand, Iran.

2 Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Medical Sciences Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

3 Assistant Professor, Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Birjand Branch, Islamic Azad University, Birjand, Iran.

Abstract

Introduction: Introduction: The aim of this study was to design, develop, and validate a self-esteem training program based on McKay and Fanning's approach, and to evaluate its effectiveness on anxiety sensitivity.
Method: The present research was conducted in two stages. In the first stage, self-esteem sessions were developed using the cognitive techniques of McKay and Fanning (2016). Then, eight psychology experts determined the content validity of the sessions. In the second stage, a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test, post-test, control group, and a two-month follow-up was employed. The statistical population consisted of female students at the Hadith College in Tehran during the winter of 2024. They were selected using a two-stage sampling method. In the first stage, screening was conducted based on purposive sampling. In the second stage, using a simple random sampling method, 30 female students who met the study's inclusion and exclusion criteria were selected and randomly assigned to either the experimental group (15 participants) or the control group (15 participants). The self-esteem sessions were administered to the experimental group over 16 sessions, and a follow-up was conducted after 2 months. Data were collected using the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI) developed by Reiss et al. (1986).
Results: The results indicated that the self-esteem sessions had acceptable content validity. Furthermore, the training intervention showed that enhancing self-esteem significantly reduced anxiety sensitivity, and this effect remained significant during the follow-up phase.
Discussion and Conclusion: Training self-esteem can be considered a valid and effective program for reducing the symptoms of anxiety sensitivity in female students.

Keywords

References

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