The Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy on Anxiety, Career Path Identity, and Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy in Perfectionist High School Students

Abstract

Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) on anxiety, career path identity, and career decision-making self-efficacy in perfectionist high school students.

Methods and Materials: This quasi-experimental study was conducted using a pre-test and post-test design with a control group. The statistical population consisted of perfectionist female students in the first and second grades of high school in Mashhad during the 2020-2021 academic year. Thirty-two students who met the inclusion criteria, based on the Hewitt and Flett Perfectionism Questionnaire (1991) and selected through convenience sampling, were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. Due to attrition, each group consisted of 12 students. The experimental group underwent eight 90-minute sessions of CBT for perfectionism, while the control group received no intervention during this period. Data were collected using the Beck Anxiety Inventory (1990), the Career Path Identity Questionnaire by Delas and Jeringan (1981), and the Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy Scale by Betz, Klein, and Taylor (1996). The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and covariance analysis.

Findings: The results from the comparison of post-test scores between the two groups indicated a significant difference in anxiety, career path identity, and career decision-making self-efficacy scores (P < 0.01).

Conclusion: According to the findings, CBT was significantly effective in reducing anxiety, improving career path identity, and increasing career decision-making self-efficacy in perfectionist high school students. Therefore, this therapy can be used to enhance career decision-making self-efficacy, career path identity, anxiety, and perfectionism in students.