Comparing the Effectiveness of Internet-Based Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and Emotion-Focused Therapy on Ambiguity Tolerance and Threat Sensitivity in Married Women with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

This study aims to compare the effectiveness of Internet-based cognitive-behavioral therapy and emotion-focused therapy on ambiguity tolerance and threat sensitivity in married women with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

The research design was quasi-experimental with pre-test, post-test, and control group. The statistical population consisted of all married female patients suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder who were referred to one of the psychological and psychiatric counseling and services centers in Pars-Abad city of Ardabil province for treatment between July and October of 2021. among which 45 were randomly selected by purposeful sampling in the groups receiving Internet-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (15 people), emotion-focused therapy (15 people), and the control group (15 people). Data collection tools were: Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Scale, Ambiguity Tolerance Scale, and Threat Sensitivity Questionnaire. Each interventional treatment was performed during 8 weekly sessions, and the control group did not receive any specific treatment during this period of time. The data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA).

The results showed that cognitive-behavioral therapy based on the Internet and focused on emotion was effective on ambiguity tolerance and threat sensitivity in married women with obsessive-compulsive disorder (P<0.05). Moreover, there is no significant difference between the effectiveness of these two treatment methods (P<0.05).

The results have potentially significant practical effects for specialists and therapists to pay attention to the effectiveness of treatment methods used in improving the consequences of obsessive-compulsive disorder.