Comparison of the Effectiveness of Compassion-Focused Therapy and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy on Experiential Avoidance and Post-Traumatic Growth in Sexually Abused Girls

 Sexual abuse in its various forms leaves irreversible damages on the physical and psychological development of children and adolescents. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) on experiential avoidance and post-traumatic growth in sexually abused girls.

Methods and Materials: 

The present research was quasi-experimental with a pre-test, post-test design and a control group. The statistical population included sexually abused girls studying in Western Tehran during the 2023-2024 academic year. Forty-five individuals were selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (each group consisting of 15 individuals). The first experimental group received Gilbert's Compassion-Focused Therapy (2010) and the second experimental group received Hofmann and Otto's Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (2008) in eight 60-minute sessions. The control group did not receive any psychological treatment. Research instruments included Lisak's Sexual Abuse Questionnaire (2005), Bond's Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire (2011), and Tedeschi and Calhoun's Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory (1996). Data were analyzed using covariance analysis, Bonferroni post hoc test, and SPSS software version 26.

 The results showed that Compassion-Focused Therapy was more effective than Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy on experiential avoidance (F=24.91, P=0.001) and post-traumatic growth (F=51.26, P=0.001) in sexually abused girls (p<0.05).

 Compared to Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Compassion-Focused Therapy can play an effective role in reducing experiential avoidance and increasing post-traumatic growth in sexually abused girls.