Effectiveness of Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy on the Difficulty of Emotion Regulation in Patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

  The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on the difficulty of emotion regulation in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

The method of the present study was quasi-experimental with a pretest-posttest-follow-up design with a control group. The statistical population of the study consisted of all patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder referred to the psychology and psychiatric clinics in Mashhad. Of these, using convenience sampling technique, thirty clients who met the research criteria were selected and randomly assigned into two groups: the experimental group (15 individuals) and the control group (15 individuals). To collect the data, the subjects completed the Emotion Difficulty Regulation Questionnaire developed by Gratz and Roemer (2004). Analysis of variance with repeated measures was then used to analyze the data.

The results confirmed the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on reducing the difficulty of emotion regulation in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Based on the research findings, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy helps clients with obsessive-compulsive disorder to be able to effectively regulate and manage their emotions. Therefore, considering the essential role of emotions in the continuation and exacerbation of this disorder, therapists can increase the effectiveness of therapy sessions by using this treatment method.