The Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy on Self-Compassion and Distress Tolerance in Women with Anxiety Disorders

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of CBT in enhancing self-compassion and increasing distress tolerance among women diagnosed with anxiety disorders. Methods and Materials: A quasi-experimental pre-test–post-test design with a control group was employed. Thirty women with anxiety disorders were selected from a counseling center in Tehran, Iran, using convenience sampling and randomly assigned to experimental (n = 15) and control (n = 15) groups. The experimental group received eight 90-minute sessions of CBT based on Beck's model, while the control group received no intervention. Pre- and post-test assessments were conducted using the Self-Compassion Scale (Neff, 2003) and the Distress Tolerance Scale (Simons & Gaher, 2005). Data were analyzed using ANCOVA. Findings: After controlling for pre-test scores, an ANCOVA showed that CBT significantly increased self-compassion (F = 20.96, p < .001, η² = .43) and distress tolerance (F = 17.23, p < .001, η² = .38) in the experimental group compared to the control group. Conclusion: CBT appears to be an effective intervention for improving self-compassion and distress tolerance in women with anxiety disorders. These findings support the integration of CBT into therapeutic programs aimed at enhancing emotional resilience.