Cognitive behavioral therapy and compassion focused therapy on loneliness of women on the verge of divorce

Loneliness among the main psychosocial concerns of women, especially those who are in the process of divorcing and family separation. The statistics suggest that one out of every 4 individuals suffers from loneliness. Loneliness affects people with a sense of emptiness, sorrow, and anxiety. Moreover, it influences various aspects of social interactions, lifestyle, and bio psychological well–being. Loneliness is generally accompanied by social, behavioral, and emotional harms. Literature suggests that loneliness is a causative factor in the health and well–being of different populations and has long–term and immediate consequences in mental health. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Compassion–Focused Therapy (CFT) are among the approaches that could help people. The main purpose of CBT is to help group members to identify and experience their feelings and to perceive how their beliefs and assumptions influence their feelings and behaviors; accordingly, they could experience alternative substitutes. CFT is among the most influential and prominent theories, rooted in evolutionary psychology and basic nerve science. It comes from tradition and the cognitive–behavioral model. In CFT, people learn to stop their critique, blame, and condemnation, and accept the responsibility of their thoughts and feelings. They are trained to be keen to self–reproach. In this regard, the present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of CBT and CFT on loneliness in women on the verge of divorce.

This was a quasi–experimental study with a pretest–posttest and a control group design. The statistical population of this study included all women referring to the social emergency department of Tonekabon City, Iran, who were on the verge of divorce. In total, 45 individuals were randomly selected and assigned into two experimental groups and one control group (n=15). The experimental groups received CBT and CFT for 8 consecutive 60–minute sessions; however, the control group received no treatment. The UCLA Loneliness Scale (version 3) was used to collect the required data. After the end of intervention sessions, all of the study subjects completed this scale again. The obtained data were analyzed in SPSS, applying one–way Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). 

The ANCOVA results suggested significant differences in loneliness scores between the experimental and control groups. CBT and CFT significantly affected loneliness in women on the verge of divorce in experimental groups compared to the controls (p<0.001). Accordingly, the research hypotheses were confirmed. 

Cognitive reconstruction is beneficial in understanding and modifying negative thinking. Cognitive reconstruction helps individuals to stay positive and to alter their thinking positively. Negative thinking, in addition to generating a feeling of discomfort, decreases the quality of a personchr('39')s performance and undermines social relationships with other people. CFT could assist an induvial in improving communication with self and others, and overcome the feelings of loneliness and isolation. Therefore, by persuading their compassion, they can cope with their destructive tendencies, and emotions, and improve their interpersonal communication and calmness. Therefore, CBT and CFT could be used as effective measures to reduce the sense of loneliness in women on the verge of divorce.