Comparing the Effectiveness of Mentalization Based Treatment and Positive Psychology Intervention in Emotional Deprivation and Abandonment Among Homeless Women

This study investigates the efficacy of two distinct therapeutic approaches, Mentalization-Based Treatment (MBT) and Positive Psychology Intervention (PPI), in addressing emotional deprivation and abandonment issues within the vulnerable demographic of homeless women.

The design of this research was a semi-experimental type, as it was conducted in an experimental manner, in a pre-test/post-test with a control group. The process of participant selection involved a random sampling method, which resulted in the inclusion of 72 individuals who were then randomly assigned to three groups, with each group consisting of 24 individuals. The Early Maladaptive Schemas (EMS) was used to collect data. In order to test the research hypotheses, multivariate analysis of covariance and Bonferroni post-hoc tests were employed.

Through a rigorous examination of post-intervention results, we identified a significant disparity in scores between the MBT and PPI groups. Notably, the MBT group demonstrated a marked improvement compared to the control group, while no substantial difference was found between the PPI group and the control group. Consequently, this study concludes that MBT significantly outperforms PPI in mitigating the emotion deprivation and abandonment schema in homeless women.

In light of these findings, organizations supporting homeless women, especially single mothers, are encouraged to consider the adoption of the Mentalization-Based Treatment approach to enhance their mental schemas and promote emotional well-being.