Comparison of the Effectiveness of Emotional Schema Therapy and Mindfulness Training on Feelings of Shame and Guilt in Victims of Intimate Partner Violence
Keywords:
Emotional schema therapy, mindfulness training, shame, guilt, intimate partner violence victimsAbstract
Objective: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of emotional schema therapy and mindfulness training in reducing feelings of shame and guilt among victims of intimate partner violence.
Methods and Materials: The study employed a quasi-experimental design with pre-test, post-test, and control groups. The statistical population consisted of married women referred to family care centers under the Tehran Welfare Organization during 2022–2023. Using purposive sampling, 45 women were selected and randomly assigned to two experimental groups—emotional schema therapy and mindfulness training (15 participants each)—and one control group (15 participants). Data were collected using the Guilt and Shame Proneness Scale by Cohen et al. (1995). Emotional schema therapy sessions (Khiyabani, 2024) were implemented for the first experimental group, and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy sessions (Salehi-Eshtarjani, 2023) for the second. Data analysis was performed using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) in SPSS version 27.
Findings: The results indicated a statistically significant difference between the two therapeutic approaches (p<0.05). Both emotional schema therapy and mindfulness training effectively reduced feelings of shame and guilt, but emotional schema therapy produced significantly greater improvement. The effect size was 0.43, indicating that approximately 43% of the variance in shame and guilt could be explained by group membership. Bonferroni post-hoc tests confirmed that both interventions were superior to the control group, with emotional schema therapy showing the strongest effect.
Conclusion: Both interventions proved effective in alleviating feelings of shame and guilt among women exposed to intimate partner violence; however, emotional schema therapy demonstrated a more substantial and enduring effect. These findings suggest that schema-based emotional interventions can serve as a valuable therapeutic strategy for family therapists in addressing psychological consequences of domestic violence.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Saeid Kalami, Ayatolah Karimi Baghmalek (Author)
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