Middle Eastern Journal of Disability Studies
Middle Eastern Journal of Disability Studies
Volume 16 - Vol 16, 2026
MEJDS (2026) 16: 1 |
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Clinical trials code: IR.IAU.ABHRR.REC.1404.002
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Najafi S, Pouyamanesh J, Babakhani V, Alijani F. Comparing the Effectiveness of Schema Therapy and Emotion-focused Therapy on Life Satisfaction, Resilience, and Hope in Bereaved Parents. MEJDS 2026; 16 :1
URL: http://jdisabilstud.org/article-1-3652-en.html
URL: http://jdisabilstud.org/article-1-3652-en.html
1- Counseling Department, Abhar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Abhar, Iran
2- Psychology Department, Abhar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Abhar, Iran
2- Psychology Department, Abhar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Abhar, Iran
Abstract: (1187 Views)
Background & Objectives: Grief is a profoundly complex human experience, particularly intense for bereaved parents due to the loss of a child, significantly impacting their life satisfaction, resilience, and hope for life. Life satisfaction, defined as an individual's overall assessment of their quality of life, declines in bereaved parents due to a sense of lost purpose and diminished enjoyment in daily activities. Resilience, the capacity to cope with adversity and regain psychological balance, is compromised, while hope for life, a cognitive–motivational construct involving belief in achieving goals and finding pathways, also decreases, potentially leading to helplessness and heightened risk of psychological disorders like depression and anxiety. Various psychological interventions, such as cognitive–behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, group therapy, and mindfulness–based approaches, have been developed to support bereaved individuals. However, schema therapy and emotion–focused therapy stand out due to their focus on deep emotional and cognitive aspects of grief. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of schema therapy and emotion–focused therapy on life satisfaction, resilience, and hope for life among bereaved parents.
Methods: This quasi–experimental study employed a pretest–posttest and 3–month follow–up design with a control group. The study population consisted of bereaved parents attending counseling centers in Tabriz City, Iran, in 2023. Sample size was determined using G*Power with 0.80 statistical power, 0.05 significance level, and 0.6 effect size. Thirty–six eligible participants (20 women, 16 men) were selected via purposive sampling and randomly assigned (using a lottery method) to three groups of 12: schema therapy, emotion–focused therapy, and control. To select participants, information was first disseminated through advertisements and on virtual social networks, such as Telegram, WhatsApp, and ETA, in medical and psychological centers. Parents who volunteered to participate in the study participated in an in–person initial screening session. In this session, the researcher provided explanations of the study objectives, the implementation process, and the participants' commitments. The inclusion criteria included a score of 102 or higher on the Grief Experience Questionnaire (indicating severe grief), loss of a child within the past 12 months, aged 25–55 years, minimum middle school education, and no psychotherapy in the prior three months. The exclusion criteria included non–cooperation, missing more than three sessions, failure to complete assignments, or unforeseen events. Instruments included the Grief Experience Questionnaire (Barrett & Scott, 1989), the Life Satisfaction Questionnaire (Endicott et al., 1993), the Life Expectancy Scale (Snyder et al., 1991), and the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (Connor & Davidson, 2003). Interventions were delivered in eight 90–minute group sessions for each experimental group. The schema therapy protocol (Young's model) included assessment and cognitive, emotional, and behavioral techniques (CVR = 0.68). The emotion–focused protocol (Johnson's model) covered empathy, emotional tracking, and consolidation (CVR =0.72). Before the intervention, a briefing session was held for participants, during which the objectives of the study, the meeting process, and the obligations (such as regular attendance and completing questionnaires) were explained. Written consent forms were obtained from all participants, and they were informed of their right to withdraw from the study at any time. Participant information was recorded with unique codes to maintain confidentiality. Data were analyzed using descriptive (mean, standard deviation) and inferential statistics (the Chi–Square test, repeated measures ANOVA, Tukey's post–hoc test) in SPSS version 25, with a 0.05 significance level.
Results: Schema therapy and emotion–focused therapy produced significant improvements in life satisfaction (p<0.001), resilience (p<0.001), and hope for life (p<0.001) compared to the control group. Also, schema therapy was more effective than emotion–focused therapy in increasing life satisfaction (p<0.001) and hope for life (p=0.011). However, no significant difference was observed between the two therapy approaches in improving resilience (p=0.13).
Conclusion: According to the findings, schema therapy and emotion–focused therapy effectively improve bereaved parents' psychological well–being. However, schema therapy shows greater efficacy in life satisfaction and hope due to its cognitive focus. So, these interventions are recommended for counseling centers supporting bereaved parents.
Methods: This quasi–experimental study employed a pretest–posttest and 3–month follow–up design with a control group. The study population consisted of bereaved parents attending counseling centers in Tabriz City, Iran, in 2023. Sample size was determined using G*Power with 0.80 statistical power, 0.05 significance level, and 0.6 effect size. Thirty–six eligible participants (20 women, 16 men) were selected via purposive sampling and randomly assigned (using a lottery method) to three groups of 12: schema therapy, emotion–focused therapy, and control. To select participants, information was first disseminated through advertisements and on virtual social networks, such as Telegram, WhatsApp, and ETA, in medical and psychological centers. Parents who volunteered to participate in the study participated in an in–person initial screening session. In this session, the researcher provided explanations of the study objectives, the implementation process, and the participants' commitments. The inclusion criteria included a score of 102 or higher on the Grief Experience Questionnaire (indicating severe grief), loss of a child within the past 12 months, aged 25–55 years, minimum middle school education, and no psychotherapy in the prior three months. The exclusion criteria included non–cooperation, missing more than three sessions, failure to complete assignments, or unforeseen events. Instruments included the Grief Experience Questionnaire (Barrett & Scott, 1989), the Life Satisfaction Questionnaire (Endicott et al., 1993), the Life Expectancy Scale (Snyder et al., 1991), and the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (Connor & Davidson, 2003). Interventions were delivered in eight 90–minute group sessions for each experimental group. The schema therapy protocol (Young's model) included assessment and cognitive, emotional, and behavioral techniques (CVR = 0.68). The emotion–focused protocol (Johnson's model) covered empathy, emotional tracking, and consolidation (CVR =0.72). Before the intervention, a briefing session was held for participants, during which the objectives of the study, the meeting process, and the obligations (such as regular attendance and completing questionnaires) were explained. Written consent forms were obtained from all participants, and they were informed of their right to withdraw from the study at any time. Participant information was recorded with unique codes to maintain confidentiality. Data were analyzed using descriptive (mean, standard deviation) and inferential statistics (the Chi–Square test, repeated measures ANOVA, Tukey's post–hoc test) in SPSS version 25, with a 0.05 significance level.
Results: Schema therapy and emotion–focused therapy produced significant improvements in life satisfaction (p<0.001), resilience (p<0.001), and hope for life (p<0.001) compared to the control group. Also, schema therapy was more effective than emotion–focused therapy in increasing life satisfaction (p<0.001) and hope for life (p=0.011). However, no significant difference was observed between the two therapy approaches in improving resilience (p=0.13).
Conclusion: According to the findings, schema therapy and emotion–focused therapy effectively improve bereaved parents' psychological well–being. However, schema therapy shows greater efficacy in life satisfaction and hope due to its cognitive focus. So, these interventions are recommended for counseling centers supporting bereaved parents.
Keywords: Schema therapy, Emotion–focused therapy, Life satisfaction, Resilience, Hope for life, Bereaved parents
Type of Study: Original Research Article |
Subject:
Psychology
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