The Efficacy of Stress-Based Group Therapy based on Awareness-Based Strategies for Emotion Regulation and Cognitive Avoidance in Female Patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of stress-based group therapy based on awareness-based strategies for emotion regulation and cognitive avoidance in female patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder. The research method was quasi-experimental with pre-test-post-test design with control group and quarterly follow-up. The statistical population included all female patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder who in 1400 had referred to counseling and help centers in Kermanshah. Among them, 30 people were selected by purposive sampling and randomly assigned to the same experimental and control groups. The experimental group received stress-based treatment intervention based on awareness attention as a group, once a week in 8 sessions of 90 minutes; the control group was placed on a waiting list. Gross and John emotion regulation questionnaires and Sexton and Dougas cognitive avoidance questionnaires were used to collect data. Findings from one-way analysis of variance in Mankova text showed that stress-based therapy based on awareness attention significantly reduces the scores of suppression and cognitive avoidance and significantly increases the scores of the cognitive reassessment component of the experimental group in the post-test phase. And has been followed up. Based on the research findings, it is suggested that in order to manage emotion regulation strategies and reduce cognitive avoidance of obsessive-compulsive patients, the results of group therapy based on stress reduction based on mindfulness as a modern psychotherapy in counseling centers and Benefited therapy.