Evaluation of the effectiveness of integrated schema therapy method with memory specificity training on the severity of depression, anxiety and rumination of students with early maladaptive schemas: A single subject study

Individuals with major depression and anxiety generally have multiple early maladaptive schemas and memory over generality in retrieving memories. On the other hand, memory overgeneral recall facilitates the transmission of early maladaptive schemas from mother to child. There is a research gap regarding the efficacy of the combined method of schema therapy and memory specificity training on depression, anxiety and rumination of students with early maladaptive schemas.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of the combined method of schema therapy with memory specificity training on depression, anxiety and rumination of students with early maladaptive schemas.

In this research, a single subject method with ABA design was used. The statistical population of the research included all students who referred to the Counseling Center of University of Isfahan in 2022. The research sample included four students suffering from major depression with high scores in the level of anxiety and rumination. The tools used in the research include semi-structured clinical interview based on DSM5, Young schema questionnaire-short Form of 90 questions (Young, 1999), Beck Depression Inventory-II (Beck, 1996), Nolen Hoxma and Murrow Rumination Questionnaire (Nolen-Houseman & Morrow, 1991), Beck Anxiety Inventory (1998) and Autobiographical memory test (Williams & Broadben, 1986). Trend graph, percentage of non-overlapping data and recovery percentage were used for data analysis.

The findings of the research showed that the combined method of schema therapy with memory specificity training is effective on participants' depression with an average recovery percentage of 55.30 after the intervention and anxiety with an average recovery percentage of 65.30 after the intervention, but the intervention on accompany rumination with an average recovery percentage of 1.39 is not effective. Also, this method is effective in reducing overgeneral recall of participants' memory.

Considering the effectiveness of the present integrated intervention on depression and anxiety and reducing over general recall of, the use of memory specificity training during schema therapy sessions is suggested as a technique along with other experimental, emotional, cognitive and behavioral techniques.