Effectiveness of schema therapy based on mindfulness on mental pain and experiential avoidance in patients with cardiovascular diseases

Background and Aim: Cardiovascular disease is the main cause of early death worldwide, causing ۱۸ million deaths each year. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of mindfulness-based schema therapy on subjective pain and experiential avoidance in patients with cardiovascular diseases. Methods: The method of this study was semi-experimental with pretest-posttest design with control group and a two-month follow-up period. The statistical population of this study consisted of patients referred to Tehran Heart Center Hospital between April and June ۲۰۲۳. Thirty patients were selected by random sampling method and randomly assigned into experimental and control groups. The experimental group received mindfulness-based schema therapy in ۱۰ sessions of ۹۰ minutes once a week. The questionnaires used included mental pain of Auerbach et al. (۲۰۰۳), Bond and et al.'s experiential avoidance questionnaire (۲۰۱۱). Data were analyzed by repeated measure analysis of variance using SPSS software version ۲۶. Results: The results showed that mindfulness-based schema therapy had a significant effect on subjective pain and experiential avoidance in patients with cardiovascular diseases (p<۰.۰۰۱). Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, it can be concluded that mindfulness-based schema therapy can be used as an effective intervention to reduce mental pain and experiential avoidance.Background and Aim: Cardiovascular disease is the main cause of early death worldwide, causing ۱۸ million deaths each year. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of mindfulness-based schema therapy on subjective pain and experiential avoidance in patients with cardiovascular diseases. Methods: The method of this study was semi-experimental with pretest-posttest design with control group and a two-month follow-up period. The statistical population of this study consisted of patients referred to Tehran Heart Center Hospital between April and June ۲۰۲۳. Thirty patients were selected by random sampling method and randomly assigned into experimental and control groups. The experimental group received mindfulness-based schema therapy in ۱۰ sessions of ۹۰ minutes once a week. The questionnaires used included mental pain of Auerbach et al. (۲۰۰۳), Bond and et al.'s experiential avoidance questionnaire (۲۰۱۱). Data were analyzed by repeated measure analysis of variance using SPSS software version ۲۶. Results: The results showed that mindfulness-based schema therapy had a significant effect on subjective pain and experiential avoidance in patients with cardiovascular diseases (p<۰.۰۰۱). Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, it can be concluded that mindfulness-based schema therapy can be used as an effective intervention to reduce mental pain and experiential avoidance.