Effectiveness of Compassion-Focused Therapy on Metacognitive Beliefs, Forgiveness, and Psychological Well-Being of Women Applying for Divorce

Abstract

Background and Objective: Divorce is one of the most stressful events leading to emotional distress and behavioral problems that affect the metacognitive beliefs and psychological well-being of family members. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of compassion-focused therapy (CFT) on metacognitive beliefs, forgiveness, and psychological well-being of women applying for divorce in Shahr-e Ray, Iran, between 2018 and 2019. Materials and Methods: This study followed a pretest-posttest design with a control group. The study population included all women applying for divorce in Shahar-e Ray city of Iran, from whom 28 applicants were selected using the convenience sampling method. The study population was randomly assigned to two groups of experiment (n=14) and control (n=14). The CFT was applied for eight sessions to the participants in the experimental group who were further divided into two groups. Women in the control group were put on the waiting list and did not receive any intervention. The tools used in this study consisted of Wells’ Metacognitive Beliefs Questionnaire (MCQ-30), Pollard’s Family Forgiveness Scale, and Ryff’s Scale of Psychological Well-being, which was administered to the participants in the pre-and post-test phases. The data were analyzed using SPSS software (Version 16) through descriptive statistics and analysis of covariance. Results: The results indicate that there is a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in terms of metacognitive beliefs variables, family forgiveness, and psychological well-being scales (P<0.001). Conclusions: CFT is a third-wave psychological therapy that improve acceptance of unpleasant emotions, thoughts, metacognitive beliefs, forgiveness, and psychological well-being of women applying for a divorce.