The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on Obsessive Symptoms, Psychological Flexibility and Negative Emotions in Patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Zangian, Elahe

Volume 29, Issue 3 (5-2022) RJMS 2022, 29(3): 230-239 | Back to browse issues page

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Zangian E. The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on Obsessive Symptoms, Psychological Flexibility and Negative Emotions in Patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. RJMS 2022; 29 (3) :230-239
URL: http://rjms.iums.ac.ir/article-1-8441-en.html

The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on Obsessive Symptoms, Psychological Flexibility and Negative Emotions in Patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Elahe Zangian

MA of clinical Psychology, Department of Psychology, Najafabad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Najafabad, Iran , elahezangian@gmail.com

Abstract: (212 Views)

Background & Aims: Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a debilitating and complex neurological-psychiatric syndrome whose main characteristic is unwanted, repetitive, and disturbing thoughts as well as repetitive, annoying, and ritualistic behaviors that the patient engages in to avoid anxiety or Neutralizing acts obsessively, and these obsessions or compulsions take time, cause significant distress and reduce a person's optimal daily performance. Therefore, a person suffering from obsessive thoughts has a persistent and recurring thought, desire, or idea that the person experiences in a disturbing or unwanted way and tries to ignore or stop this obsession. Neutralize it by engaging in another thought or action. Therefore, the main feature of these obsessions and compulsions is that they are not enjoyable for the affected person, but the patient continues to ruminate on thoughts and repeat actions to reduce the discomfort that arises for him. Obsessive patients may show resistance to obsessive thoughts and actions at the beginning of the disease, but with the progress and influence of the disease in severe cases, the affected person spends a lot of his daily time on mental occupation or obsessive behaviors. So people suffering from this disorder with persistent, pervasive, dry, and inflexible patterns of thought and behavior experience high tension and anxiety, and their social, family, and personal life conditions are also affected. It is taken and disturbed. Psychological flexibility, which has a special place among developmental pathologists today, is defined as a dynamic process that creates positive adaptation or adaptation in unfortunate or traumatic situations. So, psychological flexibility gives people with obsessive-compulsive disorder the opportunity to face their current conditions and situations and evaluate them so that they can change their behavior if necessary and be able to behave effectively in different situations and conditions. Psychological flexibility consists of six underlying processes acceptance, cognitive detachment, contact with the present, personal framework, clarification of values, and committed action. Psychological flexibility has an effect on the evaluation and consequences of experiencing negative emotions, so people who have less flexibility respond to distress with greater intensity and having more flexibility leads to better management of emotions. , less anxiety, and problem-solving in the face of problems. Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a debilitating and complex neuro-psychiatric syndrome, and attention should be paid to the use of newer methods for this disorder in order to increase concentration and self-awareness along with physical relaxation to reduce the level of stress and negative thoughts. The clinical history related to the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder indicates that cognitive behavioral therapy with a focus on exposure and response prevention is the first and best way to treat this disorder. However, the use of medication also shortens the course of treatment. However, some patients have not been treated or have benefited little from the treatment, which causes a decrease in their performance and quality of life, because several patients have anxiety and distress caused by the exposure. They cannot tolerate that this leads to not continuing the meetings or escaping from behavioral tasks, and finally, the person becomes resistant to treatment and the patient is put in very annoying conditions. However, there is a lot of agreement that a major cognitive dimension is involved in obsession, cognitive interventions either alone or in combination with exposure have not been more effective than exposure. Therefore, in such conditions, in addition to examining the adequacy of the performed treatments and the therapist's expertise, one should think about performing other treatment options that cover the weak points of the previous treatments. And increasing clarity in thinking and perception, the aim of the present study was the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on obsessive symptoms, psychological flexibility and negative emotions in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Methods: The current research method was semi-experimental with a pre-test-post-test design and control and experimental groups. The statistical population consisted of all outpatients with obsessive-compulsive disorder referred to Modares Hospital, Isfahan, and the sampling method of the research was non-random and purposeful. In this way, among all the outpatients referred to Modares Hospital suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder, 30 people were selected in a targeted way and randomly replaced in two experimental and control groups (15 people in each group). The measurement tools in this research were Maudsley's obsessive-compulsive questionnaires (Rachman and Hodgson, 1997), negative mood (Lovy Band, 1995) and acceptance and action questionnaire (Bond et al., 2007). After completing the questionnaire by both the control and experimental groups, the participants in the experimental group received the content of the mindfulness training package based on cognitive therapy in 8 sessions as a group.
Results: The results of covariance analysis showed that mindfulness based on cognitive therapy has an effect on psychological flexibility, negative mood and obsessive symptoms of people suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Conclusion: In fact, since mindfulness as a technique can be used as a separation within a person and at the same time create a higher level of awareness regarding physical conditions and environmental conditions, that is why it can influence the negative creation of people.Considering the importance of the relationship of factors such as negative mood and flexibility as factors affecting treatment results and strong predictors in obsessive symptoms, it is necessary to reduce the symptoms of patients with this disorder in addition to taking medication. Traditional treatments, new therapeutic interventions such as mindfulness based on cognitive therapy should be used.

Keywords: Flexibility, Negative Mood, Intellectual-Practical Obsession, Mindfulness based on Cognitive Therapy

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Type of Study: Research | Subject: Clinical Psychiatry