Effectiveness of Mindfulness Techniques in Decreasing Anxiety and Depression in Women Victims of Spouse Abuse

Abstract

Psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety are outputs of domestic violence and victims should be treated using medical and nonmedical treatment. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in reducing anxiety and depression of women victims of domestic violence in Tehran. The study is an empirical research in kind of pretest-posttest plan with a control group. Statistical population consists of women victims of domestic violence in Tehran referred to several psychiatric clinics in Tehran for treatment by 2015. The statistical sample consists of 30 women selected randomly, who were placed into two groups, each group with 15 members. The experimental group was under the intervention of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for 8 sessions and control group was in waiting list. Both groups, fulfilled Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI) and Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) in final step and end of treatment. Obtained data was analyzed using ANOVA and using SPSS22 software. The obtained results from the study show that there is a significant difference between two experimental and control groups in terms of depression and anxiety after mindfulness-based cognitive therapy intervention (p<001). The obtained results from the study show that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy can affect the reduction of anxiety and depression of women victims of domestic violence.