Efficacy of transdiagnostic internet-based group therapy on distress tolerance and cognitive emotion regulation strategies on university students with adjustment disorder due to romantic breakup

Transdiagnostic therapy a structured and short-term approach that is designed to improve emotional, cognitive and behavioral problems by targeting the common causes of emotional and mood disorders. This protocol emphasizes how to experience and respond to excitements and seeks to improve the non-matching responses of excitement, cognition and behavior. However, there is a research gap on the efficacy of transdiagnostic therapy on romantic breakup.

The aim of this study was to evaluate of the efficacy of transdiagnostic internet-based group therapy on distress tolerance and cognitive emotion regulation strategies on university Students with adjustment disorder due to romantic breakup.

The present study was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest-follow-up design with a control group. Due to Epidemic corona disease, the statistical population included all students with romantic breakup across the country in 2020 in the age group of 18 to 38 years who were selected online after filling in the initial self-made form by the researcher and the diagnostic interview by purposeful sampling method entered the research.After completing the questionnaires, a group were selected and were randomly assigned to two groups: 15 people in the experimental group (transdiagnostic group therapy), and 15 people in the control group. 90 min sessions was performed for the experimental group. Subjects completed the distress tolerance (Simons & Gaher, 2005) and cognitive emotion regulation (Garnefski, Kraaij, & Spinhoven, 2002) in three stages: pretest, post-test and 1-month follow-up.

Results of mixed analysis of variance showed a significant difference (P<0/05) between the post test scores of the experimental and control groups in the distress tolerance and cognitive emotion regulation strategies variables.

The results of this study indicated internet-based transdiagnostic group therapy can reduce the symptoms of romantic breakup