Hospital Practices and Research

Abstract Background: Bulimia nervosa is a complex eating disorder often associated with maladaptive schemas and anxiety sensitivity. Objectives: This study investigated the effectiveness of Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) and Emotion-Focused Schema Therapy (EFT) individually on early maladaptive schemas and anxiety sensitivity in women with bulimia nervosa. Methods: This study employed a quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest control group design. The study population consisted of 75 female patients with a confirmed diagnosis of bulimia nervosa, recruited via convenience sampling from those seeking treatment at the Ahvaz Eating Disorders Association. Participants were assigned to one of three groups (n = 25 per group): two experimental groups and a control group. One experimental group received EFT (10 sessions, 90 minutes each), while the other received CFT (8 sessions, 90 minutes each). The control group received no intervention. The Early Maladaptive Schema Questionnaire and the Anxiety Sensitivity Index were used to assess outcomes. Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) within SPSS. Results: Results indicated that both treatments significantly reduced early maladaptive schemas and anxiety sensitivity in women with bulimia nervosa. EFT demonstrated greater efficacy, with larger reductions in early maladaptive schemas (η=0.80, P<0.001) and anxiety sensitivity (η=0.74, P<0.001) compared to CFT. The control group showed no significant changes in either outcome. Conclusion: This study revealed that EFT and compassion-focused therapy reduce maladaptive schemas and anxiety sensitivity in women with bulimia nervosa, with the former showing greater efficacy. Future research should explore the mechanisms driving these differential effects and their long-term outcomes. These findings suggest that EFT may be prioritized in clinical settings to effectively target maladaptive schemas and anxiety sensitivity in women with bulimia nervosa.

Abstract Background: Students who have lost a parent often experience low levels of self-efficacy and quality of academic life due to the psychological distress caused by this loss.
Objectives: The study aimed to determine if positive psychology training could improve the self-efficacy and academic performance of students who had lost a parent.
Methods: This quasi-experimental research adopted a pretest-posttest design with a two-month follow-up. The study focused on female senior high school students in Ahvaz, Iran, who had lost a parent in 2022. Forty eligible students were selected through purposive sampling and then randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a control group. The participants in the experimental group received a ten-week positive psychology training intervention, consisting of weekly 90-minute sessions. The control group served as a no-intervention comparison group. The research data, collected using questionnaires on self-efficacy and quality of academic life, were analyzed using a repeated measures ANOVA in SPSS-23.
Results: The results showed that positive psychology training significantly affected the self-efficacy and quality of academic life in participants (P<0.001). The positive psychology group exhibited significantly higher mean post-test scores on both self-efficacy (83.90 ± 7.56) and quality of academic life (146.40 ± 10.64) compared to the control group (45.20 ± 5.35 and 101.05 ± 6.88, respectively).
Conclusion: The study found that positive psychology training can significantly improve the self-efficacy and quality of academic life of students who have experienced the loss of a parent. This suggests that such interventions could be beneficial for supporting the overall well-being and academic success of these students.