Assessing the Effectiveness of a Solution-Focused Brief Therapy-Based Intervention on Exam Anxiety in First-Year Polish University Students: A Pilot Study with a Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Exam anxiety is a prevalent issue among university students, affecting both their academic performance and overall subjective well-being. There is an increasing need for efficient psychological interventions to support students. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a four-session group intervention based on Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) in reducing exam anxiety among 1st-year psychology students in Poland. Additionally, it examined the single-session effects of the SFBT on positive and negative emotions and perceived stress. Methods: A pilot study with a randomized controlled trial with a pretest–post-test design was conducted. The 18 participants aged between 19 and 21 years (M = 19.22, SD = 0.55) were assigned to either the intervention group (SFBT) or a waitlist control group. Exam anxiety was evaluated before and after the intervention. In the experimental group, emotional states and perceived stress were measured before and after each session. Results: The two-way analysis of variance ANOVA 2 (therapy: Before, After treatment) × 2 (group: Experimental, Control) showed significant intervention (p < 0.05, η2p = 0.27) and interaction effects (p < 0.05, η2p = 0.22). However, the Experimental and Control groups did not differ significantly in exam anxiety (p = 0.32, η2p = 0.06). Examining changes during each of the four sessions of SFBT in the Experimental group (n = 10), the study showed a significant decrease in stress (p < 0.05, η2p = 0.47) and negative emotion levels (p < 0.01, η2p = 0.57) while increasing positive emotions (p < 0.05, η2p = 0.14), comparing emotional states before and after SFBT sessions. Conclusions: Even a brief, four-session SFBT intervention is effective in reducing exam anxiety in university students. Moreover, single SFBT sessions were linked to immediate improvements in emotional functioning in the experimental sample. Future research should be repeated to investigate the long-term effects of the SFBT on well-being and include a larger and more heterogeneous sample of university students.