The effectiveness of training schema therapy's experiential techniques on the depressed person's schemas

This study aims at detecting the early maladaptive schemas of depressed persons and assigning the effect of training and implementation of experiential techniques on depressed persons’ schemas. In this study, random cluster sampling was used and depression subscale, from 21-question-scale of depression, anxiety and stress (DASS_21), was implemented to assign 30 depressed persons and 30 other persons who were not detected as depressed; Young early maladaptive schemas Questionnaire (YSQ) was then applied to both groups and T-test was implemented in order to compare both schemas. The results showed that the depressed persons’ schemas of deficit, failure, dependence/incompetence, social isolation and emotional deprivation were higher than those of persons who were not depressed. At the second stage of this study, two groups were selected from depressed persons including a controlling group (10 persons) and a test group (10 persons). The test group was trained with the experiential techniques of schema therapy. Using Young questionnaire, the schemas of two groups were reanalyzed after the completion of the training period. The produced data was then compared through the application of Levin Test and covariance analysis; the results revealed that the schemas of the test group were improved in comparison to those of controlling group who were not subjected to the training of experiential techniques.