The Impact of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) on the Cognitive Flexibility of Disabled Veterans' Wives

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 MSC in Clinical Psychology, Islamic Azad University, Kerman Science and Research Branch, Kerman, Iran

2 Depatment of Psychology,Faculty of Humanities , Imam Hosein University, North Tehran, Iran

3 Ph.D. Student of Psychology, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

4 4. MSC in Counseling and Guidance, Islamic Azad University, Rodehen Branch, Tehran, Iran

5 Ph.D. Student of Counseling, Islamic Azad University, North Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Introduction: In their interaction with their husbands, disabled veterans’ wives are affected by their husbands’ psychological characteristics and adverse behavioral and cognitive effects, which can seriously affect their psychological flexibility. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on the cognitive flexibility of disabled veterans' wives.
Method: In this semi-experimental research with pretest-posttest and control group design, 32  wives of disabled veterans referring to counseling centers in Tehran in 2017 and having low cognitive flexibility were selected through the purposive sampling method and were randomly assigned into an experimental group (n₌16) and a control group (n₌16). Eight 120-minute sessions of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy was performed for the experimental group. The Cognitive Flexibility Questionnaire (CFI) was used to collect the required data, and the data were analyzed using covariance analysis with moderated pre-test effect.
Results: Based on the findings, the research hypotheses related to the impact of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on increasing the cognitive flexibility of disabled veterans’ wives are confirmed, and the disabled veterans’ wives in the experimental group had significantly higher cognitive flexibility than those in the control group in the post-test stage (p < strong>Discussion: Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy is effective in enhancing the cognitive flexibility of disabled veterans’ wives and increases their cognitive flexibility.

Keywords


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