The The Effectiveness Of Group Guidance Services Using Gratitude Therapy Techniques In Reducing Situational Stress Among Adolescents At MAS Al-Wardah Tembung

Situational stress was a psychological problem commonly experienced by adolescents due to academic pressure, social relationships, and developmental demands encountered during the school period. If it was not managed effectively, situational stress could have negatively affected emotional well-being, emotional regulation abilities, and adolescents’ academic functioning. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of group guidance services using Gratitude Therapy techniques in reducing situational stress among adolescents at MAS Al-Wardah Tembung. This study employed a quantitative approach with a quasi-experimental design using a nonequivalent control group model. The research sample consisted of 16 students selected through purposive sampling, comprising 8 students in the experimental group and 8 students in the control group. The research instrument was a situational stress questionnaire in the form of a Likert scale with a reliability coefficient of α = 0.812. The Gratitude Therapy intervention was conducted in four group guidance sessions. Data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test. The results showed a significant reduction in situational stress in the experimental group with a Z value of -2.524 and p = 0.012 (p < 0.05), while the control group did not show a significant change (p > 0.05). These findings indicated that group guidance services using Gratitude Therapy techniques were effective in reducing situational stress among adolescents and could be recommended as an alternative intervention in school guidance and counseling services.