Comparing the Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Group Therapy and Group Schema Therapy on Resilience and Emotion Regulation in Neglected Adolescent Girls
Keywords:
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Schema Therapy, Resilience, Emotion Regulation, Neglected AdolescentsAbstract
Objective: The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Group Schema Therapy on resilience and emotion regulation among neglected adolescent girls.
Methods and Materials: This quasi-experimental research employed a pretest–posttest design with two experimental groups and one control group. The statistical population included neglected girls aged 12–18 residing in welfare centers in Mashhad, Iran. Forty-five participants were selected purposefully and randomly assigned to three groups of 15. Data were collected using the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale and the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire. The first experimental group received ACT and the second received Schema Therapy across eight 90-minute sessions. Data were analyzed using univariate ANCOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc tests.
Findings: Results showed significant improvements in resilience and adaptive emotion-regulation strategies and a significant decrease in maladaptive strategies in both intervention groups compared with the control group (p<0.001). Both therapeutic approaches produced meaningful posttest differences, yet no significant difference was found between ACT and Schema Therapy in terms of their magnitude of improvement.
Conclusion: Both Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Group Schema Therapy effectively enhanced resilience and emotion regulation among neglected adolescent girls. These findings underscore the value of structured psychotherapeutic interventions in supporting the emotional and adaptive functioning of this vulnerable population.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Mojtaba yaghoobi navai, Mohsen Doostkam, Abdollah Mafakheri (Author)
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