The Effect of Schema Therapy-Based Group Counseling on Reducing the Psychological Distress Adolescents of Divorce

The purpose of the research was to investigate the effectiveness of schema therapy, which is founded on group counseling, in alleviating the psychological distress experienced by adolescents who have experienced divorce. Since anxiety, depression, and tension are among the repercussions of parental divorce on children. Schema therapy-based group counseling was one of the methods employed to enhance the mental health of these adolescents. This was an experimental study of pre-test and post-test with control and follow-up groups. The statistical population of the investigation consisted of all girls adolescents of divorce in the city of Isfahan in 2022, who were between the ages of 13 and 15. The statistical sample was composed of 30 adolescents from divorced families who were randomly assigned to the experimental group of schema therapy or the control group. The control group received no training, while the experimental group received twenty 90-minute group counseling sessions based on schema therapy. The Psychological Distress (DASS-21) scale was employed to collect data. The data was analyzed using SPSS-20 software, which employed analysis of variance with repeated measures. The results of the repeated measures analysis of variance indicated that schema therapy-based group counseling has resulted in a substantial reduction in stress, anxiety, and depression (P<0.01), and these results have remained consistent during the two-month follow-up (P<0.01). It seems that schema therapy enabled individuals to recognize the role of schemas in the development of depression, anxiety, and tension. By employing suitable coping strategies and styles, they were able to mitigate psychological issues. Consequently, schema therapy is recommended as a solution to mood disorders.