Applied Psychology

Applied Psychology

The Effectiveness of Adolescent-Centered Mindfulness Training on Experiential Avoidance, Self-Critical Rumination among Female Adolescents with Social Anxiety

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Elahe Zerehsaz 1
Gholamreza Manshaee 2
1 Master's student in clinical psychology, Department of Psychology, Isf.C., Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran.
2 Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Isf.C., Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran.
10.48308/apsy.2026.241927.1916
Abstract
Aim: The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of adolescent-Centered mindfulness training on experiential avoidance and self-critical rumination among female adolescents with social anxiety.
 
Method: The present study was quasi-experimental research with a pretest, posttest and follow-up design including a control group. The statistical population comprised all female high school students in the second grade in District 2 of Isfahan Province during the 2023–2024 academic year. A total of 30 adolescents who met the criteria for social anxiety were recruited from Amir al-Momenin School based on their scores on the Social Phobia Inventory (Connor et al., 2000). They were then randomly allocated to either the experimental or the control group, with 15 participants in each grou. Participants in both groups completed the Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire (Gomez et al, 2011) and the Self-Critical Rumination Scale (Smart et al, 2016) at three time points: pretest, posttest, and follow-up.
 
Result: Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA. The results indicated that adolescent-centered mindfulness training had a significant effect on reducing experiential avoidance and self-critical rumination among female adolescents with social anxiety, and the effects were maintained at follow-up (p < 0.001).
 
Conclusion: It is recommended that adolescent-centered mindfulness training be implemented by mental health professionals and school counselors in skills-training workshops and group counseling sessions in schools and related centers.
Keywords
Adolescent-Centered Mindfulness Training
Experiential Avoidance
Social Anxiety
Self-Critical Rumination
Subjects
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