Comparing the Effectiveness of Gestalt Therapy and Logotherapy on Emotional Schemas and Experiential Avoidance in Patients with Leukemia at Mehraneh Clinic, Zanjan

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Keywords:

Gestalt therapy, logotherapy, emotional schemas, experiential avoidance, leukemia

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of Gestalt therapy and logotherapy on emotional schemas and experiential avoidance in patients with leukemia at Mehraneh Clinic, Zanjan.

Methodology: This applied quantitative study used a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest–follow-up design with two experimental groups and one control group. The statistical population included patients with leukemia referring to Mehraneh Clinic in Zanjan in 2024. Sixty eligible patients were selected through convenience sampling based on the inclusion criteria and were randomly assigned to Gestalt therapy, logotherapy, and control groups. The two therapeutic interventions were delivered in eight 90-minute group sessions, while the control group received no psychological intervention during the study period. Data were collected using Leahy’s Emotional Schema Scale and the Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire developed by Gamez et al. Data analysis was conducted using repeated-measures multivariate analysis of variance and Bonferroni post-hoc tests in SPSS-23.

Findings: Repeated-measures analysis showed that the time × group interaction effect was significant for all 14 components of emotional schemas (p<0.001), with large effect sizes. The time × group interaction effect was also significant for experiential avoidance (p<0.001, η²=0.57). Bonferroni post-hoc results indicated that, in both Gestalt therapy and logotherapy groups, the differences between pretest and posttest and between pretest and follow-up were significant for emotional schemas and experiential avoidance (p<0.001), whereas the difference between posttest and follow-up was not significant (p>0.05). Between-group comparisons showed that both experimental groups differed significantly from the control group at posttest and follow-up (p<0.001), while no significant difference was found between Gestalt therapy and logotherapy (p>0.05).

Conclusion: Gestalt therapy and logotherapy were both effective in improving emotional schemas and reducing experiential avoidance among patients with leukemia, and their therapeutic effects remained stable at follow-up. However, neither intervention demonstrated significant superiority over the other.

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References

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Mollaei, R. ., Sobhi, A., Kiyani, Q. ., & Ahmadi, M. S. (1406). Comparing the Effectiveness of Gestalt Therapy and Logotherapy on Emotional Schemas and Experiential Avoidance in Patients with Leukemia at Mehraneh Clinic, Zanjan. Journal of Psychological Dynamics in Mood Disorders. https://maherpub.com/index.php/pdmd/article/view/885