The effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on social self-efficacy and social anxiety in women heads of families

Authors

1 MS.c.in clinical psychology, Psychologist of Spiritual and Palliative Care Unit, Imam Reza Hospital, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.

2 MS.c. student in nursing, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran.

3 Assistant professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.

10.22038/jfmh.2025.26458

Abstract

Introduction: The number of female heads of households in Iran has increased due to significant social and demographic changes in recent years. These women are more susceptible to psychological harm due to the high levels of responsibilities they bear in their lives. The present study assessed the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on social self-efficacy and social anxiety in women heads of families.
Materials and Methods: The statistical population consisted of all female heads of households who were members of the "Moheban Al-Reza" charity in Mashhad, Iran, in 2023. Thirty participants were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group received mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for two months, in weekly sessions lasting 90 minutes each, while the control group received no psychological intervention. Data collection tools included the Social Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (2000) and the Social Anxiety Questionnaire (1996). The data were statistically analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance.
 Results: The results indicated a significant difference between the groups in post-test stage (P< 0.05), demonstrating the impact of the intervention on improving social self-efficacy and anxiety among female heads of households.
Conclusion: We revealed that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy can serve as an effective therapeutic approach for improving social self-efficacy and reducing social anxiety among female heads of households. This result highlights the importance of mindfulness-based interventions and emphasizes the need for increased attention to the psychological well-being of this group of women.

Keywords

Fundamentals of Mental Health
Volume 27, Issue 3
May and June 2025
Pages 157-164

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