Differential effects of well-being promoting and anxiety-management strategies in a non-clinical school setting

The aim of the present study was to examine the differential effects of strategies for promotion of psychological well-being (Well-Being Therapy, WBT) and removal of distress (Anxiety Management, AM) in a non-clinical school setting.162 students attending middle schools in Northern Italy were randomly assigned to: (a) a protocol derived from WBT; (b) an anxiety-management protocol (AM). The students were assessed immediately before and after the interventions, and after 6 months using: Psychological Well-Being Scales (PWB), Symptom Questionnaire (SQ) and the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS). In school children, well-being and symptom focused interventions produced slightly different effects on psychological dimensions. WBT, by facilitating progression toward positive and optimal functioning, may integrate symptom-centered strategies.