A Comparison of the Effectiveness of Solution-Focused Therapy and Compassion-Focused Therapy on Rumination and Intolerance of Uncertainty among Adolescents with Inadequate Parental Care

Objective: The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT) and Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) on reducing rumination and intolerance of uncertainty among adolescents with inadequate parental care. Methods and Materials: This applied, quasi-experimental study employed a pretest–posttest control group design with a 9-month follow-up period. The study population consisted of adolescents with inadequate parental care who were under the supervision of welfare centers in Mashhad, Iran, during 2025. A total of 45 participants were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to three groups: Solution-Focused Therapy (n = 15), Compassion-Focused Therapy (n = 15), and a control group (n = 15). Data were collected using the Ruminative Responses Scale (RRS) developed by Treynor et al. (2003) and the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS) developed by Carleton et al. (2007). Participants in the intervention groups received the respective therapeutic protocols, while the control group received no intervention during the study period. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance in SPSS-26. Findings: The results revealed significant differences among the study groups over time. Compassion-Focused Therapy demonstrated superior effectiveness in reducing rumination compared with both Solution-Focused Therapy and the control group. Furthermore, Compassion-Focused Therapy produced a statistically significant reduction in intolerance of uncertainty compared with the control group. However, no significant difference was observed between Compassion-Focused Therapy and Solution-Focused Therapy regarding intolerance of uncertainty. In contrast, Solution-Focused Therapy did not produce statistically significant improvements in either rumination or intolerance of uncertainty when compared with the control group. The therapeutic gains associated with Compassion-Focused Therapy remained stable throughout the 9-month follow-up period. Conclusion: The findings suggest that Compassion-Focused Therapy is a more effective intervention than Solution-Focused Therapy for addressing maladaptive cognitive-emotional processes, particularly rumination, among adolescents with inadequate parental care.