Effectiveness of an existential group counseling program in reducing procreation anxiety among mothers of children with disabilities

Abstract

Although extensive research has been conducted to examine several forms of anxiety experienced by families of children with disabilities, procreation anxiety remains overlooked. Therefore, this study focuses on this form of anxiety and explores the effectiveness of a group counseling program in reducing the level of procreation anxiety among mothers of children with disabilities (MCD). A quasi-experimental design was employed to achieve the study's aim. The study recruited 40 mothers who were randomly assigned into two groups: an intervention group (n=20) and a control group (n=20). A multi-dimensional instrument was developed to measure procreation anxiety among the participants before the commencement and after delivering the program. Statistical measures such as means, standard deviation, and ANCOVA were used to examine the effect of the group counseling program in reducing procreation anxiety. Results revealed a high level of procreation anxiety, and a reduction was observed in the experimental group as a result of receiving the intervention. The results confirm the positive influence of the counseling program in diminishing emotional distress generally and procreation anxiety specifically. The current research, as well as existing literature, has demonstrated the effectiveness of these programs in helping families deal with their anxiety; therefore, it is highly important to involve families of children with disabilities, particularly mothers, in such programs.