Fundamentals of Mental Health

Fundamentals of Mental Health

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

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Munes Tamizgaran 1
Yeganeh Salehi 2
Majid Moeinizadeh 3
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.2025.85051.3198
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
Mindfulness based cognitive therapy
Social anxiety
Social self-efficacy
Women
  1. Ghaisarian E, Bapiri O, Moradi A. [Comparison of mental health status of working women, heads of households and spouses of education in Ilam province]. Ilam culture 2021; 21: 206-36. (Persian)
  2. Ghashghaei F, Delavar A, Khalatbari J, Shafiabadi A. [Conceptual model of coping strategies confronted the responsibilities of female-headed households: A phenomenological study]. Quarterly of counseling culture and psychotherapy 2023; 14: 179-214. (Persian)
  3. Beyzaei L, Motlagh FZ. [Investigating the mental and personal injuries of female heads of households covered by the Relief Committee of Zarandieh City]. Journal of psychology new ideas 2023; 8: 13. (Persian)
  4. Siaha A, Banisi P, Mohammadiariya A. [Comparison of parenting styles, loneliness and communication skills in homeless and normal women]. Applied family therapy journal 2021; 2(2): 306-23. (Persian)
  5. Yoosefi Lebni J, Mohammadi Gharehghani MA, Soofizad G, Khosravi B, Ziapour A, Irandoost SF. [Challenges and opportunities confronting female-headed households in Iran: A qualitative study]. BMC women's health 2020; 20: 1-11. (Persian)
  6. Chadaga K, Prabhu S, Sampathila N, Chadaga R, Bhat D, Sharma AK, et al. SADXAI: Predicting social anxiety disorder using multiple interpretable artificial intelligence techniques. SLAS Technol 2024; 29(2): 100129.
  7. Zareii M, Bahreinian A, Ahi Q, Mansouri A. [Comparison of the effectiveness of cognitive therapy based on mindfulness and schema therapy on emotion regulation and distress intolerance of women with obsessive-compulsive symptoms]. Journal of research in psychological health 2024; 17(4): 82-100. (Persian)
  8. Moammeri Z, Ashoori J, Saeedi H. [Effect of life skills training on self-efficacy and family function in women headed households]. Journal of social work 2015; 4: 28-36. (Persian)
  9. Azdin SM, Musavi SAM, Jalali M, Kakavand A. [The effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on social self-efficacy and depression]. Developmental pscychology 2018; 14: 305-14. (Persian)
  10. Collishaw S, Hammerton G, Mahedy L, Sellers R, Owen MJ, Craddock N, et al. Mental health resilience in the adolescent offspring of parents with depression: a prospective longitudinal study. Lancet Psychiatry 2016; 3(1): 49-57.
  11. Zhang D, Lee EK, Mak EC, Ho CY, Wong SY. Mindfulness-based interventions: an overall review. Br Med Bull 2021; 138(1): 41-57.
  12. Zare M, Zamani Mazdeh R. [The effectiveness of cognitive therapy based on mindfulness on psychological distress and self-efficacy of women with generalized anxiety disorder]. Medical journal of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences 2020; 63(Special issue of psychology): 166-75. (Persian)
  13. Pardos-Gascón EM, Narambuena L, Leal-Costa C, Van-der Hofstadt-Román CJ. Differential efficacy between cognitive-behavioral therapy and mindfulness-based therapies for chronic pain: Systematic review. Int J Clin Health Psychol 2021; 21(1): 100197.
  14. Sverre KT, Nissen ER, Farver-Vestergaard I, Johannsen M, Zachariae R. Comparing the efficacy of mindfulness-based therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy for depression in head-to-head randomized controlled trials: A systematic review and meta-analysis of equivalence. Clin Psychol Rev 2023; 100: 102234.
  15. Delavar A. [Probability and applied statistics in psychology and educational sciences]. Tehran: Roshd; 2007. (Persian)
  16. Williams JMG, Teasdale JD, Segal ZV, Soulsby J. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy reduces overgeneral autobiographical memory in formerly depressed patients. J Abnorm Psychol 2000; 109(1): 150.
  17. Smith H, Betz N. Development and evaluation of a measure of social self-efficacy in college students. J Career Assess 2000; 8: 282-302.
  18. Zare M, Latifian M, Fooladchang M. [The causal model of attachment dimensions and emotion regulation strategies with the meditative role of social self-efficacy and selfdisclosure]. Social psychology research 2014; 3(11): 25-35. (Persian)
  19. Aslami N, Khabar M, Hashemi L. [The relationship between perfectionism and social anxiety due to the mediating role of self-esteem among third grade students in high schools in Shiraz]. Teaching and assessment 2012; 6: 105-21. (Persian)
  20. Kazemi H, Waziri M, Abedi A. [The effectiveness of problem solving training on test anxiety and social anxiety in primary school students]. Social cognition 2016; 5(1): 100-12. (Persian)
  21. Mohamadpour S, Tajikzadeh F, Mohamadi N. [The efficacy of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on depression, rumination and dysfunctional attitude in pregnant women with depression]. Clinical psychology and personality 2020; 16(1): 187-98. (Persian)
  22. Fard ZH, Bakhshipour B, Faramarzi M. [The effectiveness of group cognitive-behavioral therapy on social anxiety, social self-efficacy and rumination]. Quarterly of clinical psychology studies 2016; 6: 152-72. (Persian)
  23. Rigi Kooteh B, Mojahed A, Attar S, Sarani Yaztapeh J, Rigi A. [Meta-analysis of psychological interventions’ effectiveness (psycho-educational) on students' self-efficacy using Howitt and Cramer methods in Iran (2005)]. Educational development of Judishapur 2022; 13(2): 234-54. (Persian)
  24. Vatan ZF, Estaki M, Panah AG, Entezar RK. [Comparison of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and cognitive reconstructing training effectiveness on social and emotional self-efficacy in students with learning problems]. Psychology of exceptional individuals 2019; 9: 169-92. (Persian)
  25. Chang Y-C, Tseng TA, Lin G-M, Hu W-Y, Wang C-K, Chang Y-M. Immediate impact of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) among women with breast cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Women's Health 2023; 23(1): 331.
  26. Kuyken W, Warren FC, Taylor RS, Whalley B, Crane C, Bondolfi G, et al. Efficacy of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in prevention of depressive relapse: An individual patient data meta-analysis from randomized trials. JAMA Psychiatry 2016; 73(6): 565-74.
  27. Kashefinishabouri J, Eftekhar Saadi Z, Pasha R, Heidari A, Makvandi B. [The effect of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and emotion-regulation training on rumination and social anxiety in teenagers prone to addiction]. Journal of occupational health and epidemiology 2021; 10(1): 1-11. (Persian)
  28. Jannah DSM, Setiyowati N. Mindfulness and anxiety in adolescents: Systematic literature review based on big data. Bulletin of counseling and psychotherapy 2024; 6(1): 1-14.
  29. Zimmer-Gembeck MJ, Clear SJ, Campbell SM. Peer relationships and stress: Indirect associations of dispositional mindfulness with depression, anxiety and loneliness via ways of coping. J Adolesc 2021; 93: 177-89.
  30. Hoge EA, Bui E, Mete M, Philip SR, Gabriel C, Ward MJ, et al. Treatment for anxiety: Mindfulness meditation versus escitalopram (TAME): Design of a randomized, controlled non-inferiority trial. Contemp Clin Trials 2020; 91: 105965.
  31. Soltani A, Akbarzadeh M, Gholmakani ZB. [Comparison of the effectiveness of existential therapy and cognitive therapy based on mindfulness on meta-worry and distress tolerance in adolescents with social anxiety disorder]. Modern psychological research 2025; 19: 162-75. (Persian)
  32. Noda S, Shirotsuki K, Nakao M. Low-intensity mindfulness and cognitive–behavioral therapy for social anxiety: a pilot randomized controlled trial. BMC Psychiatry 2024; 24(1): 190.
  33. Perkins AM, Meiser-Stedman R, Spaul SW, Bowers G, Perkins AG, Pass L. The effectiveness of third wave cognitive behavioural therapies for children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Clin Psychol 2023; 62(1): 209-27. 
  34. Aguilar-Raab C, Stoffel M, Hernández C, Rahn S, Moessner M, Steinhilber B, et al. Effects of a mindfulness-based intervention on mindfulness, stress, salivary alpha-amylase and cortisol in everyday life. Psychophysiology 2021; 58(12): e13937.
Fundamentals of Mental Health
Volume 27, Issue 3
May and June 2025
Pages 157-164