The Impact of the Cognitive/ Behavioral Program to Reduce Anxiety among Children Diagnosed with Thalassemia

Abstract

The study aimed at exploring the impact of the Cognitive/ Behavioral

Program to reduce anxiety among a sample of children with Thalassemia in

Ramallah and Al- Bireh Province in Palestine.

The final sample of the study consisted of (30) children, who suffer from

Thalassemia. These selected from students infected with Thalassemia in

Ramallah and Al- Bireh Province. Their ages were between (8- 12) years

and the total number of people with Thalassemia was (56) children, the

anxiety measure was applied on them, and they were divided into two groups

randomly: the experimental group of (15) children, and the control group

consisted of (15) children. The Cognitive/ Behavioral Program was applied

to reduce the anxiety on the experimental group only, for a month and a half

of (16) training sessions.

The statistical analysis of data indicates the following results:

1. There are statistically significant differences at level (α = 0. 05) between

the average ranks of the experimental and the control groups on the

anxiety scale in favor of the experimental group referred to the Cognitive/

Behavioral Program.

2. No statistically significant differences were found at the anxiety scale

for the experimental group between males and females referred to the

Cognitive/ Behavioral Program.

3. No statistically significant differences were found at level (α = 0. 05)

between the average degrees of the experimental group of children on

the anxiety scale at the follow – up and distance measures referred to the

Program.

In the light of the study results, a number of educational recommendations

were provided and presented to the concerned authorities, in order to

reduce the anxiety among children with Thalassemia and to improve their

standards