The Effectiveness of Dialectical Behavior Therapy Training on Psychological Flexibility and Emotional Self-Regulation in Mothers with Children with Specific Learning Disorders

Learning disabilities is a neurodevelopmental disorder of biological origin and is the basis for cognitive abnormalities that are related to the behavioral symptoms of this disorder. Parents of children with special needs are more likely to face a variety of problems that are often limiting, destructive, and pervasive. Problems related to caring for a problem child puts parents and especially the mother at risk of suffering from mental health problems. Therefore, this research was conducted to compare the effectiveness of dialectical behavior therapy training and therapy based on acceptance and commitment to psychological flexibility and its dimensions in mothers with children with specific learning disabilities.

This semi-experimental study had a pre-test, post-test, and three-month follow-up period. The statistical population of the research included all mothers with children with special learning disorders studying in the fifth grade of primary schools in the 17th district of Tehran in the academic year of 1401-1401, with the purposeful sampling method of 60 participants who met the entry criteria. They were selected and randomly assigned to three groups of 20 people. The criteria for entering the study included having a child with a specific learning disorder studying in the fifth grade of elementary school, the minimum level of literacy to respond to self-report tools, the ability to participate in the designated treatment sessions, and completing the questions of the tools. The exclusion criteria also include participation in one of the psychotherapy programs at the same time or within the last 6 months, suffering from any of the acute psychiatric diseases and using any narcotic, suffering from Each of the chronic medical or incurable diseases (cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular problems, neurological diseases, hematology, oncology, etc.) and absence of more than two sessions from participating in therapy sessions. Data collection was done with a cognitive flexibility questionnaire (Dennis and Vanderwaal, 2010) and an emotional self-regulation questionnaire (Larsen and Pease Mike, 2004). Data analysis was done by mixed analysis of variance with SPSS version 26 statistical software.

The results showed that dialectical behavior therapy is effective in increasing the score of psychological flexibility and emotional self-regulation (P<0.001). The results show that regarding the score of psychological flexibility and emotional self-regulation, all three effects of intergroup, intragroup, and intergroup and intragroup interaction are significant (P<0.05). The comparison of averages shows that in the post-test and follow-up stages, the intervention group obtained better scores in the total score of psychological flexibility and emotional self-regulation, and its effect size on psychological flexibility was 0.56, and emotional self-regulation was 46. It was 0.0%. The general result shows that dialectical behavior therapy has been beneficial in improving the score of psychological flexibility and emotional self-regulation. The results of the analysis of demographic information showed that in the experimental group, 45% (9 people) had education at the diploma level and below, 30% (6 people) had a post-diploma to bachelor's degree, and 25% (5 people) had a post-graduate degree. In the control group, 45% (9 people) had a diploma education, 40% (8 people) had a post-graduate degree, and 15% (3 people) had a post-graduate degree. The mean and standard deviation of the dependent variables in different stages of measurement in the two groups can be seen separately. The results show that the average score of psychological flexibility and emotional self-regulation in the experimental group (dialectical behavior therapy) increased from the pre-test to the post-test and follow-up, respectively, but the average score of these variables in the control group increased from the stage The pre-test does not show a significant change to the post-test and follow-up stages.

Considering the effectiveness of dialectical behavior therapy training in mothers with children with specific learning disabilities, psychologists and counselors working in this field are recommended to use this method to increase the psychological flexibility and emotional self-regulation of mothers with children with special learning disabilities. Educational and therapeutic use. Dialectical behavior therapy is based on increasing the client's capabilities by increasing new skills with skills that are not used effectively, increasing motivation by helping to reduce factors that interfere with the progress of treatment or, like emotions, and cognition. , overt behavior and the environment prevent it, ensuring that treatment extends to the environment through the development of professional and social networks that support and reinforce the growth and use of new skills, focus, and attention Also, it can be said that emotional regulation in dialectical behavior therapy pays attention and emphasizes on the identification of emotions, labeling, awareness of emotions and methods of controlling them. Since emotional control includes components such as anger control, depressed mood, and anxiety that prepare the internal factors and conditions of the organism for arousal, emotion regulation in this approach helps directly these components have an effect and reduce and improve emotional control. Dialectical behavior therapy is surrounded by the projection of emotions and the training of emotional regulation that leads to the regulation of emotions and by teaching behavioral techniques, the person is less attracted to negative emotions. In other words, people who are practicing dialectical behavior therapy face their emotions (as they used to face them before), with the difference that after dialectical training they have the necessary tools to face them. In the sense that before this, as soon as the emotions took over, they were drowned in conflicting feelings and emotions, and to avoid anxiety and confusion by learning behavioral strategies as soon as a certain emotion occurs, is a necessary tool to regulate their have it at their disposal and can get rid of emotional confusion by understanding the conditions and applying the guidelines, and in addition, during the meetings, these people become more familiar with their emotions by following the example of other participants. It can be very useful in controlling their emotions.