Comparing the Effectiveness of Schema Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Personality Type D and Adherence to Treatment in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease

The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of schema therapy with acceptance and commitment therapy on type D personality and adherence to treatment in coronary heart disease patients.

A  single-subject design with multiple baseline control and 6-week follow-up was applied. Ten men with heart disease were selected by convenience sampling method among patients of Razavi Hospital in Mashhad. The efficacy of treatment protocol in three stages (baseline, 10-session treatment and 6-weeks follow-up) was examined using Type D Personality Questionnaire and  Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8). Data were analyzed using visual charting, Reliable Change Index (RCI), Percentage Recovery Formula and Clinical Significance.

In the post-test phase, schema therapy significantly reduced type D personality and increased adherence to treatment for cardiac patients compared to acceptance and commitment therapy (P< 0.05), but at follow-up, Schema therapy was more effective in reducing type D personality and increasing adherence to treatment.

The results showed that schema therapy significantly improved target behaviors. No clinically important difference evident between schema therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy in term of target behaviors.