Effects of Cognitive Self-Compassion with an Emphasis on Poetry Therapy on the Psychological Well-Being and Symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Women

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common, chronic, and debilitating mental disorder. The present study investigated the effects of cognitive self-compassion training with emphasis on poetry therapy on the psychological well-being and symptoms of PTSD in women. This is a quasi-experimental study of the pre-test/post-test type using a control group. The statistical population comprised a total of 32 women suffering from PTSD in Khorramabad city, selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups. The experimental group received cognitive self-compassion training with an emphasis on poetry therapy in ten 90-minute sessions based on the cognitive self-compassion intervention of Neff (2011) and related poems. The study scales included the Ryff Scale of Psychological Well-Being (1989) and (1998). Statistical analysis was performed using analysis of covariance by SPSS-23 software. The scores of the psychological well-being and PTSD in women with this disorder before and after the intervention were significantly different. The experimental group showed a significant increase (F=3.70, p<.05) in the psychological well-being score and a significant decrease (F=9.26, p<.05) in the PTSD score compared to the control group. Considering the positive effect of this treatment, therefore, mental health professionals are recommended to use this treatment for PTSD patients.