Objective: This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of paradoxical therapy on emotion regulation difficulties in students preparing for university entrance exams.
Methods: The present research employed a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design with a control group. The population included all university entrance exam students residing in boarding schools in Qom during the 2023–2024 academic year. Using purposive sampling, 30 students were selected and randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 15) and a control group (n = 15). The instruments used were the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS; Gratz & Roemer, 2004) and the Test Anxiety Scale (TAS; Sarason, 1977). The experimental group received paradoxical therapy intervention over six sessions, each lasting up to 45 minutes, conducted every two weeks. The control group received no intervention. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25 and one-way ANCOVA.
Results: Findings indicated that paradoxical therapy significantly improved emotion regulation in the students preparing for university entrance exams.
Conclusions: Paradoxical therapy can be employed as a complementary therapeutic approach to enhance emotion regulation in students.