The Spiritual Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Stress Therapy on Spontaneous Negative Thoughts and Irritability in People with Social Anxiety

The aim of this study was to determine the "effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress therapy on spontaneous negative thoughts and irritability in people with social anxiety. This research is a quasi-experimental pre-test post-test with a control group.

The statistical population of this study included all patients with social anxiety and was about 300 people who referred to Masih, Behravan and Panah counseling centers located in Ahwaz and Izeh in the first six months of 1400 and were referred for group treatment. Based on previous research, 40 patients with social anxiety were selected by available sampling method and randomly assigned to two groups of control and experimental (20 in the experimental group and 20 in the control group). The research instruments include Holon and Kendall (1980) Negative Spontaneous Thoughts Questionnaire and Crick, Heitan, Markova and Brius (2006) Irritability Questionnaire. Multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) was used to analyze the data. Based on the comparison of pre-test and post-test between the two groups.

Findings showed that mindfulness-based stress therapy has a significant effect on spontaneous negative thoughts and irritability in people with social anxiety with P≤0/05 .

We conclude that the therapeutic agent has made this difference, in other words, the mindfulness-based stress therapy has improved spontaneous negative thoughts and irritability.