The effectiveness of combination of dialectical behavior therapy and schema therapy on emotion regulation and reduce anxiety

emotional experiences at the wrong time and in the wrong place with unreasonable intensity and scope can become the basis for the emergence and continuation of psychological damage, especially anxiety. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the combined intervention of dialectical behavior therapy and schema therapy in the recovery of patients with emotional disorders and anxiety.

The current research was case study type. Three participants were selected by purposive sampling and based on obtaining a score of 15 and above in the anxiety scale (Lavibond questionnaire) and schema (Young questionnaire) and a score higher than the average score (Gertz and Romer's emotion regulation questionnaire). Selected and participated in 28 sessions of 60 minutes. Data analysis was done through visual analysis, graph drawing, percentage of overlapping and non-overlapping data, and in order to determine the clinical significance, percentage improvement index and effect size were used.

The research findings showed that dialectical behavior therapy and schema therapy was effective in regulating emotion and reducing anxiety.

Interpersonal schemas are caused people lose the necessary cognitive resources to calm themselves down and despite learning relaxing skills, they still cannot reduce their anxiety and confusion on their own. It seems that a combined of dialectic and schema therapy is an effective way to regulate emotions and reduce anxiety.