The Effect of the Mixed Empathy and Anger Management Intervention on Loneliness, Emotional Autonomy and Responsiveness to Stress in Divorce Students

Abstract

: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the mixed empathy and anger management intervention on loneliness, emotional autonomy and responsiveness to stress in divorce students. To this end, the present study used a quasi-experimental pretest posttest control group design. The statistical population of the study included all guidance school students who were studying in schools in District 1 of Bandar Abbas in 2021. The study sample consisted of 30 guidance school divorce students who were selected through available sampling from all students and randomly assigned to two groups of 15 (15 students in control group and 15 in experimental group). Data were collected using Russell, Pilva and Cortona (1980) Loneliness Questionnaire, Etseinberg and Silverberg (1986) Emotional Autonomy Questionnaire, and Kuh et al. (2001) Stress Response Questionnaire. Data analysis was performed at descriptive (including demographic tables and graphs) and inferential (analysis of covariance) levels. The results showed that the mixed empathy and anger management intervention was effective and reduced the loneliness of divorced students (p <0.05). Moreover, it was shown that there was no significant effect of the mixed empathy and anger management intervention on emotional autonomy and its dimensions (nondependency, individuation and deidealization- parents as people) in divorce students (p <0.05). The results also indicated that the intervention was effective on responsiveness to stress and its dimensions (anger-aggression, tension, frustration, depression, somatization-fatigue) in divorce students. Therefore, the mixed empathy and anger management intervention can be used to positively affect the life dimensions of divorce