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

https://doi.org/10.61838/ijbmc.v12i4.977
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Self-Compassion Distress Tolerance Anxiety Disorders Women Psychotherapy

Authors

  • Forozan Gholipor Master of Clinical Psychology, Sari Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sari, Iran. , Iran, Islamic Republic of
  • Fateme Bigdeli Master of Clinical Psychology, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran. , Iran, Islamic Republic of
  • Hengame Katal Master of Clinical Psychology, Sari Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sari, Iran. , Iran, Islamic Republic of
  • Fatemezahra Rezaei Master of Clinical Psychology, Ayatollah Amoli Branch, Islamic Azad University, Amol, Iran., Iran, Islamic Republic of
  • Hamid Najafi Moghadam
    Hamid_teach@yahoo.com
    Master of Clinical Psychology, Ferdows branch, Islamic Azad University, Ferdows, Iran., Iran, Islamic Republic of
Vol. 12 No. 4 (2025): July
Quantitative Study(ies)
March 31, 2025
April 27, 2025

Objective: Anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent mental health conditions affecting women and are often associated with impaired self-compassion and low distress tolerance. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has demonstrated effectiveness in improving emotional regulation and adaptive coping mechanisms. However, its specific effects on self-compassion and distress tolerance remain underexplored. 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, 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 for emotional resilience enhancement.