Effectiveness of Reality Therapy on Emotion Regulation Difficulty and Academic Self-Handicapping of Students: A Pilot Study

Background: The ability to experience and express emotions is considered a key factor in mental health, and difficulty in effective emotion regulation is a major symptom of many psychiatric disorders. Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the role of reality therapy on emotion regulation difficulty and academic self-handicapping in high school students. Materials & Methods: This quasi-experimental research adopted a pretest-posttest control group design. The statistical population included all male high school students of Ahvaz in 2021, 30 of whom were selected through cluster random sampling and were then randomly assigned to an experimental group and a control group (15 participants per group). For the pretest, participants from both groups completed the Self-Handicapping Scale and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale. The 10-session reality therapy intervention was then implemented in the experimental group, whereas the control group received no intervention. At the end of therapy sessions, the posttest was given to participants in both groups. Data analysis was performed using Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Results: The adjusted posttest mean score of difficulty in emotion regulation among intervention and control groups were 77.5 (95%CI: 75.1-79.9) and 113.35 (95%CI: 110.9-115.7), respectively. The values for academic self-handicapping in the intervention and control groups were 75.1 (95%CI: 72.8-78.4) and 97.3 (95%CI: 92.4-99), respectively. According to the result of ANCOVA, reality therapy had significant effects on academic self-handicapping (F=87.79, P=0.001, η2=0.78) and emotion regulation difficulty (F=461.15, P=0.001, η2=0.95) among students. Conclusions: Reality therapy mitigated academic self-handicapping and difficulties in emotion regulation among male high school students. It is recommended that schools help students improve emotion regulation and control self-handicapping by providing appropriate conditions for implementing reality therapy sessions.