The Effectiveness of Problem Solving Therapy to Improve Quality of Life among University Students

Abstract

The present study investigated the effectiveness of problem-solving therapy in improving the quality of life among university students. From an undergraduate population, female participants (N = 30) were asked to complete the World Health Organization Quality of Life BREF (1995) and were then randomly placed in the control group or the experimental group which then received eight sessions of problem-solving therapy. Problem-Solving Therapy: A Treatment Manual published in 2012 by Nezu, Nezu, and D’Zurilla was used. Once therapy was completed following the seven steps as outlined by the author, participants from both the experimental and control groups completed the World Health Organization Quality of Life BREF scale once again. This was an experimental design with an independent group design and a repeated measures design. Results showed that quality of life increased among participants in the experimental condition after receiving PST while it reduced in the control group. Receiving group problem-solving therapy was an effective intervention in increasing coping tendencies among individuals. Problem-solving therapy is a cognitive-behavioral intervention designed to help individuals cope with stressful life circumstances. Further research of this nature should attempt to control for extraneous variables in the participants’ environment. Campus counselors and educational social workers can benefit from applying the findings of this study. School psychologists can use Problem-solving therapy to increase the quality of life of students who may have various stressors.