Background: In recent years, dependence on mobile phones has become a significant challenge for students, leading to increased social anxiety and decreased self-efficacy. Our goal is to enhance students' mental health and mitigate the negative effects of mobile phone addiction through innovative therapeutic approaches. The present study was conducted to determine the effect of group reality therapy based on choice theory on social anxiety and self-efficacy of students with Mobile Dependency.

Method: This study was conducted in Tehran in 2019 using a randomized clinical trial method. Fifty-two undergraduate nursing students were selected through convenience sampling and then divided into intervention and control groups based on random assignment. Data were collected using the Koo hy Mobile Phone Dependence Questionnaire, the Jerabek's Social Anxiety Scale, and the Sherer's General Self-Efficacy Scale. Reality therapy training based on choice theory was conducted in a group setting over six sessions for the intervention group. Each 90-minute session (twice a week) involved two-way discussions, lectures, and Q&A in the WhatsApp software environment for the intervention group. Data were collected before the intervention and four weeks after its completion. Data analysis was performed using descriptive and inferential statistics methods via SPSS version 26

Results: 81% of the samples in both intervention and control groups were between 20-25 years old and 34% of the samples were women. There was a statistically significant difference between the intervention and control groups after the intervention regarding the social anxiety score (p = 0.028) and self-efficacy score (p = 0.002).

Conclusion: Reality therapy training based on choice theory improves social anxiety and self-efficacy of students with mobile phone dependence, so it is recommended that this study's findings be used to plan and provide training for nursing students to strengthen self-efficacy and reduce social anxiety. The results of this research can also contribute to the development of effective interventions in the field of mental health.