Effect of mindfulness-based cognitive and dialectical behaviour counselling techniques on social anxiety among lower basic school pupils in Gwale Zonal Education Directorate, Kano State, Nigeria.
Aliyu Muhammad Zakariyya, Kabir Bello Dungurawa, Mujtaba Lawan
Aminu Kano Academic Scholars Association Multidisciplinary Journal February 11, 2026 DOI: 10.64726/1d1mbz94 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Quasi-experimental pretest-posttest study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 30 |
| Population | Lower basic pupils in Gwale Zonal Education Directorate, Kano State, Nigeria, identified with social anxiety symptoms |
| Interventions | Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Counselling (MBCC) Dialectical Behaviour Counselling (DBC) |
| Measures | Social Anxiety Checklist (SAC), Social Anxiety Inventory (SAI) |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Key findings | Both Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Counselling and Dialectical Behaviour Counselling significantly reduced the behavioural, cognitive, and physiological dimensions of social anxiety among the pupils, with no significant difference between the two techniques. The authors conclude that both approaches are effective and recommend their adoption by school counsellors. |
Abstract
This study investigated the effects of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Counselling (MBCC) and Dialectical Behaviour Counselling (DBC) techniques on social anxiety among lower basic pupils in Gwale Zonal Education Directorate, Kano State, Nigeria. Seven objectives guided the study: six examined the effects of the two counselling techniques on the behavioural, cognitive, and physiological dimensions of social anxiety, while the seventh assessed their interactive effect. Seven research questions and corresponding null hypotheses were formulated and tested at the 0.05 level of significance. A quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design was adopted. The population consisted of 89 pupils identified with social anxiety symptoms, from which 30 pupils were purposively selected to participate. Data were collected using the Social Anxiety Checklist (SAC) and Social Anxiety Inventory (SAI), with established reliability coefficients of 0.86 and 0.88 respectively. Paired t-test and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) were used for data analysis. Findings revealed that both MBCC and DBC had significant effects on the behavioural, cognitive, and physiological dimensions of social anxiety among the pupils. However, no significant difference was found between the effects of the two techniques. The study concluded that both counselling approaches are effective in reducing social anxiety symptoms and recommended their adoption by school counsellors for managing social anxiety among pupils.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on anxiety, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| A PILOT STUDY OF GROUP MINDFULNESS-BASED COGNITIVE THERAPY (MBCT) FOR COMBAT VETERANS WITH POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) Veterans with chronic combat posttraumatic stress disorder seeking treatment at a VA... | 2013 | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual comparison group | n = 37 |
| Being present in the face of existential threat: The role of trait mindfulness in reducing defensive responses to mortality salience. | 2010 | Experimental study | |
| Neural correlates of mindfulness meditation-related anxiety relief Healthy adults with no prior meditation experience | 2013 | Within-subjects experimental study | n = 15 |
| Intensive mindfulness training-related changes in cognitive and emotional experience Community adults | 2009 | Quasi-experimental and longitudinal | n = 69 |
| Prospective examination of synthetic 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine inhalation: effects on salivary IL-6, cortisol levels, affect, and non-judgment Volunteers | 2019 | Within-subjects experimental study | n = 11 |