Background and Objective: Children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) frequently exhibit challenges in emotional regulation and social interaction. This study aims to investigate the potential of narrative therapy, a collaborative storytelling approach, to enhance emotional intelligence, anger management, and social adjustment among this population.
Methods: A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design with a control group was applied for this study. The target population encompassed all children diagnosed with ADHD residing in Ahvaz City during 2023. A convenience sample of 28 participants was randomly assigned to either an experimental (n=14) or control (n=14) group. Data were collected using the Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire, the Child Behavior Aggression Scale, and the Social Adjustment Scale. The experimental group received seven 40-minute narrative therapy sessions, while the control group served as a no-treatment group. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to analyze the data.
Findings: The post-test analysis revealed a significant difference between the narrative therapy and control groups in all three domains (P<0.01). The narrative therapy group demonstrated substantially higher scores in emotional intelligence (82.18±14.05 vs. 70.54±12.11), anger management (50.12±9.31 vs. 37.49±6.75), and social adjustment (32.16±5.12 vs. 22.49±4.87).
Conclusion: The findings suggest that narrative therapy constitutes an effective intervention for enhancing emotional intelligence, anger management, and social skills in children diagnosed with ADHD. Moreover, narrative therapy emerges as a valuable tool for addressing the emotional and social challenges commonly experienced by this population
