schema therapy

Schemas have an impact on the communication beliefs and conflict resolution patterns of couples and are formed from the contrast of mood and socio-cultural and educational stimuli. As a result, to understand them, it is necessary to pay attention to the cultural context and people's lived experience.

The purpose of this research is to identify dysfunctional and schema-oriented interactional patterns of couples based on the context of Iranian society and to present a conceptual model that was conducted using a qualitative method based on grounded theory.

The research population was couple therapists with a schema-oriented approach in Tehran, who were selected through targeted sampling of the accessible type. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 8 pairs of therapists and were analyzed in three stages of open, central and selective coding. To evaluate the validity of the findings of the interviews, the participants' reflection method and the review of non-participant experts were used.

The results of the research indicated two main categories and 14 main categories, which in the form of a paradigm model include2 main categories (insecurity and undifferentiatedness), causal conditions (family system, parents' parenting style, role models from parents, ineffective traditions and teachings, recommendation to mistrust, experiencing rejection and humiliation), contextual conditions (culture), mediating conditions (intra-individual factors, environmental factors), strategies (avoidance, submission, extreme compensation) and consequences (ineffective interactions) were organized.

The results of this research showed that it is necessary to pay attention to the cultural context and people's lived experience in order to better understand and resolve marital relationship conflicts. Identifying and understanding these ineffective and schema-oriented interactive patterns can help in designing more effective treatment and counseling programs for couples in Iranian society.

The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of schema therapy on distress tolerance, resilience, emotional regulation, and parenting styles of mothers with children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The research method was a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test-post-test design and a control group. The statistical population of this study included all mothers with children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder referring to the Tohid Clinic in Isfahan in 1402, of which 30 people were selected purposively and randomly assigned to an experimental group and a control group. The measurement tools included the Distress Tolerance Questionnaire by Simmons and Gaher (2005, CD-RIS), Connor and Davidson's Resilience (2003, DTS), Gross and John's Emotional Regulation (2003, ERQ), and Baumrind's Parenting Style (1972, PSI). The experimental group received schema therapy in twelve sessions, one session per week for 90 minutes. The data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance. The results showed that by controlling the pre-test effect, there was a significant difference between the post-test mean of distress tolerance and resilience, emotional regulation, and parenting styles in the experimental and control groups at the P<0.01 level. As a result, schema therapy can be used as an effective treatment method to improve distress tolerance, resilience, emotional regulation, and parenting styles of mothers with children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is one of the common disorders and there are many interventions for this disorder, but some patients do not get the desired results from the interventions. The aim of this research was to compare the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy along with exposure and response prevention (ACT+ERP) with schema therapy along with exposure and response prevention (ST+ERP) of the intensity of obsessions and obsessive beliefs of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

The research method was quasi-experimental having pre-test and post-test with a control group. The statistical population included all patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder in the year 2023 in Isfahan city. Sixty people were selected through convenience sampling and were randomly assigned to 2 experimental groups and one control group (20 people in each group). The experimental groups received eight 60-minute sessions of ACT+ERP and ST+ERP. In this research, Obsessional Beliefs Questionnaire -44 (Group of Experts Working on Obsessive-Obsessive Cognitions, 1997) and Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) (Goodman et al., 1989) were used. Multivariate analysis of covariance statistical tests was used to analyze the hypotheses.

compared to the control group, ACT+ERP and ST+ERP had significant effect on the intensity of obsessions and obsessive beliefs of patients (p<0.001).

Based on the research findings, ACT+ERP and ST+ERP are effective in reducing the severity of obsessions and obsessive beliefs of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Also, ACT+ERP compared to ST+ERP had a greater effect on reducing the severity of obsessions and compulsions in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Fear of recurrence and death anxiety are among the most common psychological problems in cancer patients. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of schema therapy and spirituality therapy on reducing these symptoms in cancer patients.

This quasi-experimental study with a pre-test-post-test design with a control group was conducted on 45 cancer patients referred to Tehran medical centers in 1403. Participants were randomly assigned to three groups: schema therapy (n=15), spirituality therapy (n=15), and control (n=15). The experimental groups received 12 intervention sessions, respectively. The research instruments included the Fear of Cancer Recurrence Inventory (FCRI) and Death Anxiety Inventory (DAS) questionnaires. The data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance.

The results showed that both treatment methods were effective in reducing fear of recurrence and death anxiety. Schema therapy was more effective than spirituality in reducing fear of recurrence. In contrast, spirituality was superior to schema therapy in reducing death anxiety. The effect sizes of the interventions were calculated for fear of recurrence and death anxiety.

The findings show that although both treatment methods are effective, schema therapy is considered to be more optimal for reducing fear of recurrence and spirituality is considered to be more optimal for reducing death anxiety. The combination of these two methods can be considered as a comprehensive protocol in psychological interventions for cancer patients.

 This study examines how the combination of schema therapy with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can enhance these domains.

Methods and Materials:

 This study employed a quasi-experimental design with pre-test and post-test assessments. A total of 45 participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: schema therapy, schema therapy + tDCS, and a control group (receiving no treatment). The experimental groups participated in 10 group sessions of schema therapy, while one of these groups also received 5 individual tDCS sessions. The control group received no intervention. Data were collected using the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) and the Barkley Deficits in Executive Functioning Scale (BDEFS) and analyzed through multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA).

 Findings indicated that the experimental groups demonstrated significant improvements in emotion regulation and executive functions compared to the control group (p < 0.01). Notably, the group that received both schema therapy and tDCS exhibited remarkable improvements in both domains, with a large effect size. Post-hoc analyses further confirmed the high effectiveness of this combined intervention in addressing emotional and cognitive deficits.

 This study underscores the importance of integrating neuromodulation with psychotherapy to achieve optimal outcomes. Future research should focus on investigating the durability of these effects, the potential mechanisms underlying the intervention, and its broader clinical applications.

The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of emotion-focused couple therapy with schema therapy on marital forgiveness and cognitive emotion regulation in conflicting couples. The present study was quasi-experimental with a pre-test-post-test design and a control group with a two-month follow-up period. The statistical population included all conflicting couples referring to the Nihad Counseling Center in Tehran in 2023-2024, from which 60 couples with marital conflict were selected as a sample. The research tools included the Pollard Forgiveness Questionnaire (IFS, 1998) and the Garnevsky Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ, 2001). The emotion-focused couple therapy intervention was conducted in 8 90-minute sessions and schema therapy in 10 90-minute sessions. The research data were analyzed using analysis of variance with repeated measures. The findings showed a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test means of the three groups in marital forgiveness and cognitive emotion regulation (P<0.05). In addition, there was no significant difference between the post-test and follow-up of the groups (P<0.05). There was also a significant difference between the post-test means of the two experimental groups in marital forgiveness and cognitive emotion regulation (P<0.05). From the above findings, it can be concluded that schema therapy was a more efficient and effective intervention than emotion-focused couple therapy.

The present study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of schema therapy on the perception of social interactions and lovemaking in married students. The method of the current research was semi-experimental with a pre-test-post-test design and a control group. The statistical population included all married students of Islamic Azad University, Rasht branch in 2023. The required sample size for each group was determined to be 15 people and a total of 30 married people (n = 30); First, they were selected by the available sampling method and after screening, they were placed in control and experimental groups by simple random method. To collect data, the Social Interaction Perception Questionnaire (SIQ; Kalish & Edelstein, 1996) and Sternberg Triangular Love Scale (TLS; Sternberg, 1997) were used. The experimental group received schema-based group therapy for eight 90-minute sessions once a week, and the control group did not receive any intervention. Data analysis was done with the statistical test of multivariate covariance analysis. The results showed that by controlling the effect of the pre-test, there was a significant difference at the level of 0.05 between the mean scores of the post-test of social interactions and lovemaking in the two experimental and control groups. In general, it can be concluded that schema therapy had an effective role in improving social interactions and lovemaking in married students.

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of schema therapy and emotion-focused therapy on feelings of rejection and nightmares in individuals affected by marital infidelity. 

The research method was quasi-experimental with a pretest-posttest control group design. The statistical population included individuals affected by marital infidelity in Tehran, from which 30 participants were selected using convenience sampling and randomly assigned to two experimental groups and one control group. The experimental groups received interventions of schema therapy and emotion-focused therapy in 10 sessions of 90 minutes each, while the control group received no intervention. The results were analysed using ANOVA via SPSS-23.

The findings indicated that both intervention methods led to improvements in feelings of rejection and reductions in nightmares; however, schema therapy had a greater effect on these variables. The results suggest that schema therapy, by modifying early maladaptive schemas, can reduce feelings of rejection and improve nightmares.

Therefore, it is recommended that this approach be used in therapeutic programs for individuals affected by marital infidelity.

The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of schema therapy and compassion-focused therapy on self-efficacy and mental rumination of married women university students of Ahvaz Azad University. This research was applied research in terms of purpose, and semi-experimental in terms of method with pre-test, post-test with control group and one-month follow-up period. The present study population included all married women students of Ahvaz Azad University in 1398, from which 60 students with a history of marriage of 1 to 5 years were selected as the sample group, and then 20 of them were randomly selected in the group. Schema experiment and 20 people were assigned to the compassion experimental group and 20 people to the control group. All three groups answered general self-efficacy questionnaire (Scherer, 1981) and Mind ruminant questionnaire (Yousefi, 2005). Participants in the schema experimental group received 8 sessions of 90-minute schema therapy and the compassion experimental group received 8 sessions of 90-minute empathy-focused therapy based on Gilbert's concepts. Data analysis was performed using multivariate analysis of covariance. The results of this study showed that schema therapy has no significant effect on women's self-efficacy but has an effect on women's rumination (p£0.05). Also, the results showed that compassion-focused therapy had no significant effect on rumination and self-efficacy in women (p£0.05). The results showed that there was no significant difference between schema therapy and compassion-focused therapy in terms of effectiveness on self-efficacy and mental rumination and self-efficacy (p£0.05).

Low treatment adherence in patients with MS leads to poor treatment outcomes and higher care costs. Studies have reported on the effect of schema therapy to improvement adherence to treatment, also, emotion-oriented therapy by empowering effect on this. However, compares the effect these in patients with MS has been overlooked.

the aim of this syudy is to compare the efficacy of schema therapy & emotion-oriented therapy on adherence to treatment in patients with MS.

Research method was quasi-experimental with pre-test, post- test, three-month follow-up with control group. The statistical population consist of all patients suffering from MS who in the second half of 2020 referred to the Iranian MS Association to receive services in Tehran. Sampling method was Purposful. 60 available patients selected (twenty in each experimental group) and replaced randomly in experimental groups. twenty other patients placed in control group and did not receive any training. The adherence to treatment Inventory (seyd fatemi et al., 2018) was administered pre-test, post-test and follow-up. Packages were schema therapy package (Young et al, 2016) and emotion-oriented therapy package (Gilbert & Goldman, 2019). Both applied on experimental groups (sixty minutes each session) weekly and the control group did not receive any therapy. The data analyzed by mixed analysis variance and SPSS.

Results showed that both of schema therapy & emotion-oriented therapy were affected the same on increasing to adherence to treatment (p< 0.001). Three- month follow-up confirmed these results. Use to schema therapy & emotion-oriented therapy (especially schema therapy) can to increase to adherence to treatment in patients with MS.

With the two methods of schema therapy and emotion-oriented therapy, it is possible to improve treatment compliance in MS patients. The mentioned findings can help therapists in choosing the type of treatment in these patients.

The present study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of schema therapy on self-blame and cognitive avoidance in individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder. The research method was quasi-experimental with a pre-test-post-test design and a control group. The statistical population of the study was all women referring to neighborhood counseling centers in District 22 of Tehran in 1402, from which a sample of 30 women who scored high on the Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Questionnaire (Y-BOCS, Yale-Brown, 1986) was selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to two groups (experimental group and control group) with 15 women in each group. First, both groups were assessed using the Self-Blame Scale (SBS, Gilbert et al., 2004) and the Cognitive Avoidance Scale (CAQ, Sexton and Dugas, 2008). Then the experimental group underwent the schema therapy intervention of Young and Klosko (2003) for 8 sessions. The collected data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance tests. The results of the data analysis showed that by controlling the pre-test effect, there was a significant difference at the 0.05 level between the mean post-test of self-blame and cognitive avoidance in the two groups. Therefore, it can be concluded that schema therapy was effective in reducing self-blame and cognitive avoidance in people with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of schema therapy on the cognitive, motivational, and behavioral engagement of female students in the second year of high school in Isfahan city. The method of the current research was semi-experimental, which was carried out in the form of a pre-test-post-test design with a control group.The experimental group received eight sessions of 90 minutes per week, and the control group did not receive any training.The statistical population was all girls' students of the second year of high school in Isfahan in the academic year of 2022 -2023. Among which, 30 people were selected as a sample, according to the entry and exit criteria and with the available sampling method, and were randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups. The research tool was Zarang academic engagement questionnaire (2013). Data analysis in the present study was performed using multivariate analysis of covariance using SPSS23. The results showed that schema therapy was effective on the cognitive, motivational and behavioral engagement of girls high school students (P<0.01). Based on the findings, schema therapy can be suggested as an effective method to increase the cognitive, motivational and behavioral engagement of students.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of schema therapy on the tolerance of ambiguity and difficulty in regulating the emotions of drug addicts. The research method was semi-experimental with a pre-test-post-test design with a control group and a two-month follow-up period. The statistical population of the study included substance-dependent patients who were referred to addiction treatment centers in Tehran in 1402. Among these, 34 people were selected by the available sampling method and were randomly divided into experimental (17 people) and control (17 people) groups. Research tools included the Ambiguity Tolerance Questionnaire (ATQ) by McLean (2009) and Difficulty in Emotion Regulation (DERS) by Gratz and Roemer (2004). Schema therapy was performed on the experimental group in 10 sessions of 90 minutes with the frequency of one session per week. Analysis of variance with repeated measurements was used to analyze the data. The results showed that there was a significant difference between the two groups and schema therapy increased the tolerance of ambiguity (p<0.05) and reduced the difficulty in emotion regulation (p<0.05) in substance-dependent people. It also had a lasting effect in the follow-up period (p>0.05). According to the obtained results, addiction specialists can use schema therapy to emphasize increasing the tolerance of ambiguity and reducing the difficulty in regulating the emotions of drug addicts.