JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified mental health challenges among adolescents, particularly in rural areas with limited access to services. In response, the Saudi government launched mental health campaigns and mandated schools to implement mental health programs. However, the effectiveness of these programs remains largely unreported.

Objective:

This study used data from a rural school to examine the impact of a Compassion-Focused Therapy -based school program, The Reassured Self, on anxiety symptoms, video game addiction, and body image dissatisfaction among rural adolescent females in Saudi Arabia.

Methods:

A single-group retrospective design was utilized. The intervention involved 133 female students (mean age = 13.7, SD = 1.01) in a rural setting, who completed assessments of anxiety symptoms, gaming behavior, and body image dissatisfaction pre- and post-intervention. Validated Arabic versions of the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale, Game Addiction Scale, and body image discrepancy assessment were used to measure outcomes. Data were analyzed using linear mixed effects regression models.

Results:

Compared to pre-intervention levels, students exhibited significant reductions in anxiety symptoms (p = .005) and video game addiction (p = .009) after the program. However, changes in body image dissatisfaction were minimal and not statistically significant (p = 0.057). High satisfaction scores indicated strong acceptability and cultural alignment with the intervention.

Conclusions:

The findings suggest that culturally adapted, compassion-focused school programs may effectively reduce anxiety and video game addiction in underserved adolescent populations. These results underscore the potential for such programs to address mental health disparities in rural areas.