Abstract
Adolescence is often characterized by increased rebelliousness, with some teenagers displaying less socially acceptable behavior towards peers and exhibiting lower tolerance and resilience. This study investigated the efficacy of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in addressing cognitive avoidance, anxiety sensitivity, distress tolerance, and resilience in female adolescents exhibiting clinical symptoms of aggression. This quasi-experimental study employed a pretest-posttest control group design to assess the effectiveness of ACT in this population. The target population included all female adolescents referred to counseling and psychology centers for aggression symptoms. Purposive sampling was used to select 46 participants who were then randomly assigned to either an intervention group (n = 23) or a control group (n = 23). The intervention group received eight, bi-weekly, 90-minute ACT sessions, while the control group remained on a waiting list. All participants completed the Cognitive Avoidance Questionnaire, Anxiety Sensitivity Index, Distress Tolerance Scale, and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale at both pre- and post-intervention phases. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was employed to evaluate the intervention's effect. The findings revealed significant reductions in both cognitive avoidance and anxiety sensitivity following the ACT intervention. Additionally, improvements in distress tolerance and resilience were observed in adolescents with aggression symptoms. This study suggests that ACT may be a valuable intervention for reducing psychological symptoms associated with aggression in female adolescents.