Comparing the Effectiveness of Emotion-Focused Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on Emotion Self-Regulation and Attitudes toward Extramarital Relationships in Marginalized Infertile Women

of emotion-focused therapy on emotional empathy and couple

The Effectiveness of Mentalization-Based Therapy on Reducing Negative Automatic Thoughts and Difficulty in Emotion Regulation in Adolescent Girls with Moderate Depression

Introduction and Aim: Given the high negative emotional characteristics in people with depression, the present research was conducted with the aim of determine the effectiveness of mentalization-based therapy on reducing negative automatic thoughts and difficulty in emotion regulation in adolescent girls with moderate depression. Methodology: The present research was a quasi-experimental with a pre-test and post-test design with a control group. The population of this study was adolescent girls with moderate depression who referred to counseling centers of Ahvaz city in the spring season of 2025 year. After reviewing the inclusion criteria number of 40 people were selected by purposive sampling method and randomly assigned into two equal groups, including experimental and control groups. The experimental group underwent 10 sessions of 90 minute by mentalization-based therapy, and the control group remained on the waiting list for treatment. The instruments of this study included the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire (Hollon & Kendall, 1980), Difficulty in Emotion Regulation Scale (Gratz & Roemer, 2004), and Beck Depression Inventory II (Beck et al., 1996). The data of this research were analyzed using the methods of chi-square test and multivariate analysis of covariance in SPSS-25 software at a significant level of 0.05. Findings: The results of this research indicated that there was no significant difference between depressed adolescent girls in terms of age and parental education (P>0.05). Also, mentalization-based therapy reduced negative automatic thoughts and difficulty in emotion regulation in adolescent girls with moderate depression (P<0.001). Conclusion: According to the results of the present research, counselors and psychologists can use mentalization-based therapy alongside other therapeutic methods to reduce negative emotional characteristics in vulnerable groups, including those with depression.

The effect of acceptance and commitment therapy on psychological distress and self-critical rumination in infertile women: a quasi-experimental study

Infertility is a significant source of psychological distress. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) in reducing psychological distress and self-critical rumination among infertile women. A quasi-experimental design with pre-test/post-test and a control group was used. A convenience sample of 50 infertile women from the Urmia Health Center, Iran, were non-randomly allocated to an ACT group (n = 25) or a control group (n = 25). The experimental group received an eight to ten session ACT program, while the control group received no intervention during the study period. Participants completed the Kessler psychological distress scale and the self-critical rumination scale at pre-test and post-test. Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance to compare post-test scores while controlling for pre-test scores and key demographics. A mediation analysis was also conducted. The trial is registered with the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT; https://irct.behdasht.gov.ir/search/result?query = IRCT20250618066207N1). The results revealed that the ACT group demonstrated statistically significant reductions in both psychological distress [F(1, 44) = 54,177, p-value < 0.001, partial η² = 0.99] and self-critical rumination [F(1, 44) = 15,752, p-value < 0.001, partial η² = 0.99] compared to the control group. The mediation analysis indicated a nonsignificant indirect effect, suggesting that the reduction in psychological distress was not mediated by changes in self-critical rumination (ß = 0.28, 95% CI [−13.71, 14.12]). This study provides novel evidence that ACT is a highly effective intervention for alleviating psychological distress in infertile women. A unique and valuable contribution is the finding that while ACT reduces both distress and self-critical rumination, the therapeutic benefits for distress are not mediated by a reduction in rumination. This challenges a potential assumption and directs future research to identify the true active mechanisms of ACT in this population.

Comparison of the Effectiveness of Time Perspective-Based Intervention and Emotional Efficacy on Physical Self-Description Components in Never-Married Women Experiencing the Climacteric Period

It is suggested that time perspective-based intervention can be utilized as an efficient approach to improving psychological constructs related to physical self-description in never-married women experiencing the climacteric period.

Comparison of the Effectiveness of Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy on Fear of Negative Evaluation in Individuals with Obesity

A Comparison of the Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Compassion-Focused Therapy on Distress Tolerance among Women with Anxiety Symptoms

Introduction: Distress tolerance, as a transdiagnostic construct, plays a pivotal role in the persistence of anxiety disorders. The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) on distress tolerance among women with anxiety symptoms. Methods:This was a quasi-experimental study employing a pretest–posttest control group design. The statistical population consisted of all women with anxiety symptoms referred to counseling centers in Bojnord, Iran, during 2025. A total of 45 participants were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to three groups: ACT, CFT, and control (n=15 per group). The research instruments comprised the Beck Anxiety Inventory and the Distress Tolerance Scale. The experimental groups each received eight 90-minute weekly sessions of ACT and CFT, respectively, while the control group received no intervention. Results: Analysis of covariance revealed statistically significant between-group differences in the distress tolerance (F=73/64, p=0/001) and all subscales (p<0/001). Effect sizes ranged from 0/32 to 0/78. Post-hoc comparisons indicated that both ACT and CFT produced significant improvements in the total score and all subscales of distress tolerance relative to the control group (p<0/001); however, no statistically significant difference was found between the two interventions (p>0/05). Conclusion: ACT and CFT are equally effective and clinically viable transdiagnostic interventions for improving multiple dimensions of distress tolerance in women with anxiety symptoms. Clinicians may draw upon either protocol to enhance distress tolerance capacity in comparable clinical populations.