The Impact of Schema-Based Therapy on Reducing Depression in Divorced Women

This study investigates the efficacy of schema-based therapy in reducing depressive symptoms among divorced women, a group vulnerable to psychological distress due to the multifaceted emotional, social, and cultural consequences of marital dissolution. We hypothesized that this intervention would significantly alleviate depression. Employing a quasi-experimental design with pre- and post-test assessments and a control group, we sampled ۳۰ divorced women from Shahreza city in ۲۰۲۴, selected via purposive sampling and randomly assigned to experimental or control groups (n=۱۵ each). The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI; Beck, ۱۹۶۵), a psychometrically robust ۲۱-item self-report measure, assessed depression severity. The experimental group received ۱۰ weekly ۹۰-minute sessions of schema therapy per Young’s (۱۹۹۰) protocol, integrating cognitive restructuring, guided imagery, and inner child work to address maladaptive schemas. The control group received no intervention. Data were analyzed using MANCOVA in SPSS version ۲۴, controlling for pre-test scores. Results revealed a significant reduction in depressive symptoms in the experimental group (p < ۰.۰۵), with post-test mean scores substantially lower than the control group, indicating efficacy in mitigating sadness, hopelessness, and worthlessness. Schema-based therapy, by restructuring entrenched cognitive-emotional patterns, proves a potent intervention for enhancing mental health resilience in divorced women.

کلیدواژه ها:

Schema-Based Therapy ، Depression ، Divorced Women ، Mental Health