Comparison of the Effectiveness of Integrated Schema Therapy and Mindfulness Intervention with Schema Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Intervention on Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms in Women with Obsessive-Compulsive Syndrome

Abstract

The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of an integrated intervention of schema therapy and mindfulness with schema therapy and cognitive behavioral intervention on obsessive-compulsive symptoms in women with obsessive-compulsive syndrome.  The research method was quasi-experimental, employing a pretest-posttest control group design with a follow-up group. The statistical population included all women with obsessive-compulsive disorder who visited the clinics (Neda-e Agahi and Zehn-e Pouya) in Tehran during the fall and winter of 2021. Using convenience sampling, 60 women were selected and randomly assigned to three intervention groups—integrated schema therapy and mindfulness, schema therapy, and cognitive behavioral intervention—and one control group. Data were collected using the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS, 1989) and analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA with SPSS software. The results indicated that the intervention methods (integrated schema therapy and mindfulness, schema therapy, and cognitive behavioral intervention) had an impact on obsessive thoughts scores compared to the control group. Additionally, the results showed that in the component of compulsive behaviors, the integrated schema therapy and mindfulness intervention had a greater impact compared to schema therapy and cognitive behavioral intervention. Moreover, all three treatment groups showed significant differences compared to the control group. These results highlight the potential benefits of combining schema therapy with mindfulness techniques to achieve better therapeutic outcomes in women with obsessive-compulsive syndrome.