The effectiveness of emotional schema therapy and cognitive-behavioral interventions on personality organization in patients with generalized anxiety disorder.

Abstract

Introduction: It seems that despite the role of personality organization disruption in the development, persistence, and exacerbation of symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder, few interventions have targeted such variables. The aim of the study was to determine the effectiveness of emotional schema therapy and cognitive-behavioral interventions on the personality organization of patients with generalized anxiety disorder. Research Method: The present study was a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test-post-test design with a control group. The statistical population of the study included all patients with generalized anxiety disorder referred to three psychological counseling centers in Tehran in 1405, from which 36 people were selected through convenience sampling and then randomly assigned to two treatment groups: schema therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and a control group. The 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (Spitzer, Kroenke, Williams, & Lowe, 2006) and the Kernberg Personality Organization Questionnaire (2002) were used. Then, the experimental group underwent schema therapy (Young, 1990) for 8 sessions of 90 minutes, and cognitive-behavioral therapy based on the Dagas model (Dagas & Chawood, 2007; Chavelti, Colbert-Ciro, & Bitto, 2019) was implemented for 12 sessions of 90 minutes, but the control group was placed on a waiting list. After the end of the treatment period, a post-test was administered to both groups. The data were analyzed by multivariate analysis of covariance using SPSS 26 software in two sections: descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings: The results showed that, according to the average post-test scores of the experimental group, it can be said that emotional schema therapy and cognitive-behavioral interventions are effective on the personality organization of patients with generalized anxiety disorder. Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, it can be said that each of the cognitive-behavioral interventions and emotional schema therapy can be used as effective interventions in medical and health centers to improve personality organization.