Evaluating Narrative Group Therapy on Self-Efficacy and Social Anxiety for Students with Dyslexia: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Purpose: The present study aims to examine the effectiveness of narrative group therapy for improving self-efficacy as well as reducing social anxiety among primary school Chinese students with dyslexia in Hong Kong. Methods: A cluster-level randomized controlled trial is used to conduct a thorough evaluation of the effectiveness of the intervention for 38 primary students who have been diagnosed with dyslexia. Results: The pretest-posttest results reveal that narrative therapy has a significantly positive influence on self-efficacy (eta(2 )(p)= .18, p < .01) and social anxiety (eta(2 )(p)= .16, p < .01), which shows significant time by group interaction effects. Additionally, the results suggest that changes in self-efficacy fully mediate the impact of the intervention on changes in social anxiety. Conclusion: This study concludes that narrative group therapy is effective for primary students with dyslexia, as the findings highlight the positive outcomes in terms of enhancing self-efficacy and mitigating social anxiety.