Comparison of the Effectiveness of Bowen's System Therapy and the Combination Therapy of Bowen's System and Neurofeedback on Increasing Self-differentiation Level: A Pilot Study

Self-differentiation is one of the characteristics of a healthy person so that people with high levels of differentiation have better psychological adjustment. The aim of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of Bowen's system therapy and the combination therapy of Bowen's system and neurofeedback on increasing self-differentiation level.

Theis semi-experimental study was of pretest-posttest design with a follow-up and a control group. Participants included students of higher education centers and institutions studying in Bojnourd city in 2019-2020. Among all centers, five were randomly selected. Then, among the students of these centers, 39 students who scored a standard deviation lower than the average in their initial screening test were selected and randomly assigned to two experimental groups and one control group. First, a pretest was performed among all three groups by performing the Drake Differentiation Questionnaire (DSI-SH). Then, the first experimental group received nine 60-minute sessions of Bowen's system therapy and the second experimental group received nine 60-minute sessions of Bowen's system therapy along with fifteen 20-minute neurofeedback treatment sessions. The control group did not receive any intervention. Finally, a posttest was performed again for all three groups in the two-months follow-up. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 24 and analysis of variance with repeated measures.

In the Bowen's system therapy group, the mean (SD) self-differentiation score increased from 62.7 (9.2) in the pretest to 77.8 (12.0) in the posttest and 79.7 (9.7) in the follow-up, p<0.01. In the combination therapy of Bowen's system and neurofeedback group, the mean (SD) self-differentiation score increased from 64.6 (9.0) in the pretest to 97.9 (6.3) in the posttest and 100.2 (5.37) in the follow-up (P<0.001). In the control group, the mean (SD) self-differentiation score varied from 57.90 (6.9) in the pretest to 58.5 (7.1) in the posttest and 58.5 (8.0) in the follow-up, which was not statistically significant.

Using Bowen's system therapy and combination therapy of Bowen's system and neurofeedback, the level of differentiation can be improved. Nevertheless, combination therapy of Bowen's system and neurofeedback is more effective than Bowen's system alone.