The Effectiveness of Integrated Mindfulness and Schema Group Therapy on Self-Compassion and Early Maladaptive Schemas on Women with Interpersonal Problems

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of integrated schema and mindfulness group therapy on self-compassion, level of mindfulness and early maladaptive schemas of women with interpersonal problems. This research had semi-experimental format with a pre-post test and a two-month follow-up and a waiting-list group. The research population was women (18 to 30 years old) suffering from interpersonal problems. The sample group consisted of 22 women who were selected by purposive sampling and randomly assigned to two groups of 11 people: the intervention group and the control group (waiting list). Data were analyzed by analysis of variance with repeated measurements and SPSS software. The results showed that the integrated schema and mindfulness group therapy has a significant effect on increasing self-compassion (p≤0.001), increasing mindfulness (p≤0.01) and reducing primary maladaptive schemas (p≤0.001). the integrated mindfulness and schema group therapy can be effective and practical in improving self-compassion and mindfulness as well as reducing maladaptive schemas. Proving the effectiveness of this time-limited protocol is promising for its use in different mental health centers, and it can be efficient and economical in the financial and time costs of treating common psychological problems such as interpersonal problems.