Comparison of the effectiveness of schema therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy on perception of disease and worry in patients with illness anxiety disorder

One of the topics discussed in psychology is how people respond to physical illnesses. That could lead to many problems. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of schema therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy on the perception of disease and worry in patients with illness anxiety disorder.

This was a quasi-experimental study with pre-test and post-test design. A sample of 45 patients with anxiety disorder selected by purposive sampling and divided into two experimental groups (schema therapy and treatment based on acceptance and commitment) and a control group (15 people in each group). Then, 12 sessions of 90-minute schema therapy and 8 sessions of 90-minute therapy based on acceptance and commitment were performed in the experimental groups. The instruments used were the Pennsylvania Worry Questionnaire and Disease Perception Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance and univariate analysis of covariance

The results showed that schema therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy effectively reduced worry and illness perception of patients with anxiety disorder but there was no significant relationship between these two treatments.

Given the role of beliefs and thoughts in anxiety disorder, it is recommended that therapists consider schema therapy and acceptance-based therapy to reduce symptoms of anxiety and illness perception.