Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 phd

2 Assistant Professor of Department of Educational Science, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran

3 دانش‌آموخته کارشناسی ارشد روانشناسی بالینی، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی، واحد سنندج.

Abstract

Introduction: Individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) often experience a range of cognitive errors and delusional problems, highlighting the need for effective therapeutic interventions. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of teaching schema therapy concepts on delusional beliefs and cognitive avoidance in individuals with obsessive-compulsive symptoms.
Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental study utilized a pre-test-post-test design with a control group. The statistical population comprised individuals with OCD who referred to counseling and psychiatric centers in Sanandaj during 2022-2023. A total of 30 participants were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to either the experimental group or the control group, with 15 participants in each group. The experimental group underwent schema therapy over eight weekly sessions, each lasting 90 minutes, while the control group received no intervention. Data were collected using the Brown (1989), Peters (2013), and Sexton and Dugas (2004) cognitive avoidance questionnaires. Data analysis was performed using SPSS-24 software and variance analysis.
Results: The results indicated that schema therapy significantly reduced delusional beliefs and cognitive avoidance, with follow-up assessments demonstrating that these effects were lasting (p < 0.01).
Conclusion: Schema therapy employs experiential techniques that enable patients to emotionally process maladaptive thought and emotional patterns, thereby reducing delusional beliefs and cognitive avoidance in individuals with OCD.

Keywords

Main Subjects

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