Effect of Compassion-Focused Therapy on Self-Value, Cognitive Flexibility, and Marital Stress of Iranian Female Healthcare Workers Publisher



Memarpour L ; Pordelan N ; Borna S
Source: Iranian Journal of Health Sciences Published:2025

Abstract

Background and Purpose: Healthcare workers face numerous challenges due to their working conditions. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of compassion-focused therapy (CFT) on self-value, cognitive flexibility, and marital stress of female healthcare workers in Iran. Materials and Methods: This is a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test/post-test design. The participants were 30 female healthcare workers from Imam Khomeini Hospital in Tehran, Iran. They were selected using a voluntary sampling method and randomly assigned to intervention (n=15) and control (n=15) groups. They completed the contingencies of self-worth scale (CSWS), the cognitive flexibility inventory (CFI), and the Stockholm marital stress scale (SMSS). The intervention included eight sessions of CFT, each session for 90 minutes. The collected data were analyzed in SPSS software, version 26. Results: The post-test score of CSWS was significantly higher in the intervention group compared to the control group (Mean±SD 124.07±3.105 vs 109.2±4.931; P=0.001). The post-test CFI score was also significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group (Mean±SD 85.67±5.653 vs 74.4±7.5; P=0.001). Regarding the SMSS score, the intervention group showed a significant reduction in the post-test phase compared to the control group (Mean±SD 6.47±1.995 vs 9.33±2.024; P=0.001). Conclusion: The CFT can reduce marital stress and improve self-value and cognitive flexibility of female healthcare workers. Therefore, hospital managers should hold such intervention courses for female healthcare workers. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.