Implementation of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy With Cognitive Restructuring Technique to Reduce Psychosocial Anxiety in the COVID-19 Outbreak

Abstract

Objectives: Anxiety can cause someone to be counterproductive or experience psychological disorders, causing discomfort in social activities, less active participation in behavior. This study aims to prove the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) approach and the cognitive restructuring (CR) technique to reduce individual psychosocial anxiety through group counseling, which covers high school adolescents. The CBT approach with the CR technique for dealing with personal psychosocial anxiety provides valuable space for movement. The CBT approach with the CR technique will change the maladaptive beliefs that arise because of anxiety. This intervention aims to increase self-defense and self-control by stimulating rational problem-solving abilities, social skills, and active participation in social activities. Methods: The research method was a nonequivalent group pretest-posttest design with a control or comparison group. On the basis of the paired sample t test, there is a significant difference in the mean. The results showed that the CBT approach with the CR technique effectively reduced psychosocial anxiety in the COVID-19 outbreak. Conclusions: The results showed that the CBT approach with the CR technique effectively reduced psychosocial anxiety in the COVID-19 outbreak.