The Hope Tree as a Group Counseling Strategy for Reducing Adolescent Anxiety

Abstract

Adolescent anxiety is a significant mental health concern that can adversely affect academic performance, social relationships, and psychosocial functioning. This study aimed to determine the effect of group counseling using the Hope Tree method on reducing anxiety levels among adolescents. A quasi-experimental pretest– posttest control group design was conducted among 30 students aged 15–18 years with mild-to-moderate anxiety, selected following initial screening using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD- 7). Eligible participants were randomly selected and allocated into an intervention group (n = 15) and a control group (n = 15), while maintaining proportional representation of baseline anxiety severity. The intervention group received four sessions of group counseling using the Hope Tree method, whereas the control group received anxiety education. After the intervention, 73.3% of participants in the intervention group were categorized as nonanxious, compared with none in the control group. Within-group analysis showed a significant reduction in anxiety in the intervention group (Wilcoxon test, p = 0.002), whereas no significant change occurred in the control group (p = 0.778). Between-group analysis demonstrated a significant difference in post-intervention anxiety levels (Mann–Whitney U test, p < 0.001). These findings indicate that group counseling using the Hope Tree method may be an effective school-based psychosocial intervention for reducing mild-to-moderate anxiety among adolescents.