Post-Traumatic Growth among Iraqi Refugee Adolescent Girls in Jordan: A Quasi-Experimental Study to evaluate the Effectiveness of a Group Counseling Program Based on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the effectiveness of a group counseling program based on Rational Emotive Therapy in achieving post-traumatic growth among Iraqi refugee adolescent girls in Jordan. The study employed a quasi-experimental design, and the sample consisted of (30) Iraqi refugee girls attending the Our Lady of Mercy Center in Zarqa Governorate, Jordan. They were randomly divided into two groups: an experimental group (n=15) that received a 16-session counseling program based on Rational Emotive Therapy, and a control group (n=15) that did not receive any counseling program. The results showed statistically significant differences between the scores of the experimental and control groups on the post-traumatic growth scale, favoring the experimental group. Furthermore, the results showed no statistically significant differences between the post-test and follow-up measurements of the experimental group on the post-traumatic growth scale, indicating the continued effectiveness of the counseling program as measured by the follow-up assessment. The study concluded with a set of recommendations, most importantly training counselors in counseling program based on Rational Emotive Therapy-based counseling programs in schools serving refugees, given its role in fostering post-traumatic Growth among them.