Breaking the cycle of anger: a CBT intervention for war-traumatized adolescents in a pretest-posttest study

War-traumatized adolescents are at heightened risk of persistent anger and emotional dysregulation, which can impair mental health, social functioning, and community adjustment. Evidence-based interventions that specifically address anger in humanitarian settings remain limited. This study aimed to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary outcomes of a culturally adapted cognitive behavioral group intervention for reducing anger among war-affected adolescents in Jordan.

A single-arm pretest-posttest design was employed with 50 Syrian and Palestinian adolescents exposed to war-related trauma. Participants completed an eight-session group intervention focused on cognitive restructuring and emotion regulation. Anger severity and emotion regulation were assessed before and after the intervention using validated self-report measures.

The intervention demonstrated high feasibility, with full participant retention and strong treatment fidelity. Statistically significant reductions in anger severity were observed following the intervention, alongside improvements in emotion regulation. Outcomes were comparable across nationality and socioeconomic background.

The findings indicate that a culturally adapted cognitive behavioral group intervention is feasible and acceptable in a humanitarian context and may reduce anger among war-traumatized adolescents. Although the absence of a control group and follow-up data limits causal interpretation, the intervention shows promise for integration into community and humanitarian mental health services. Future research should evaluate effectiveness using randomized controlled designs with longer-term follow-up.