The effectiveness of Cognitive-behavioral group therapy on reducing separation anxiety in children with hearing impairment

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) on reducing separation anxiety in children with hearing impairment. The present study is a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design with the control group. The statistical population composed of all 6-12-years-old children with hearing impairment, covered by the Kamyaran Welfare Office in 2018. 26 Children who had earned a Score above the cut-off point in the separation anxiety disorder scale in the Child Abnormal Symptoms Inventory were selected and randomly assigned to the experimental group (n=13) and the control group (n=13). The experimental group received CBT skills training in 12 weekly sessions. Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance. The results showed a significant difference between experimental and control groups in pre-test and post-test (p <0.001). Therefore, cognitive-behavioral therapy can reduce separation anxiety in children with hearing impairment and is recommended as a beneficial treatment intervention for hearing-impaired children in Welfare and medical centers.