Effects of Compassion-Focused Therapy on Resilience and Distress Tolerance in Female Heads of Households

Female heads of households often experience a diminished quality of life due to financial, social, and psychological challenges. This research aimed to investigate the impact of Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) on the distress tolerance and resilience of female heads of households.

This study utilized a quasi-experimental design with pre-and post-tests, incorporating a control group. The study population encompassed all female heads of households under the support of the welfare centers of Aligudarz, Lorestan Province, Iran, in 2022. By convenience sampling, forty eligible individuals were selected and subsequently randomly assigned into an experimental and control groups (20 women per group). The intervention group received eight weekly 90-minute sessions of CFT, while the control group did not receive any interventions. Following the sessions, both groups underwent post-tests under the same conditions. The Resilience and Distress Tolerance Scale were administered to both groups as pretests before the training intervention. Data analysis was conducted using ANCOVA in SPSS version 27.

The mean±SD scores for distress tolerance and resilience were 39.10±4.37 and 59.30±5.29 on the pretest in the CFT intervention group, respectively, and 38.55±4.56 and 58.85±6.26 in the control group. In the post-test stage, the mean±SD score for distress tolerance in the CFT intervention group was 54.20±4.19, while in the control group, it remained at 38.55±4.56 (P<0.001). Furthermore, in the post-test stage, the mean±SD score for resilience in the intervention group was 89.35±8.35, compared to 58.85±6.26 in the control group (P<0.001). According to the results, CFT intervention significantly improved distress tolerance and resilience among female heads of households (P<0.001).

Compassion-focused therapy effectively enhanced distress tolerance and resilience in female heads of households. It is recommended that government officials take necessary steps and implement plans to provide CFT sessions for female heads of households.