The Effectiveness of Compassion-Focused Therapy on Emotional Regulation and Mother-Adolescent Relationships among Mothers of Adolescents Aged 12–18

Subject Areas : Family

Sahar Zaghian ¹ , Manijeh Kaveh ² , Mohammad Rabiei ³ , mehrdad hajihasani ⁴

1 - M.A. Graduate in Counseling, Shahrekord University, Iran
2 - Assistant Professor, Department of Counseling and Psychology, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran
3 - Associate Professor, Department of Counseling and Psychology, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran
4 - Associate Professor, Department of Counseling and Psychology, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran

Received: 2023-08-10 Accepted : 2023-11-05 Published : 2025-06-10

Keywords: Compassion-Focused Therapy, mother-adolescent relationships, emotional control.,

Abstract :

Entering adolescence challenges both adolescent and parents, and more conflicts are observed in the interaction between parents and adolescent in this period compared to previous ages. This study was conducted with the aim of determining the effect of compassion-focused therapy (CFT) on mother-adolescent relationships and emotional control of mothers referred to counseling centers in Isfahan. The research method was applied research and semi-experimental with a pre-test-post-test design with a control group and a two-month follow-up. The statistical population was made up of all the mothers who referred to counseling centers in Isfahan in 1401. From among the regions of Isfahan, one region was chosen randomly, and 30 people were selected from among the mothers who referred to the counseling centers of this region by convenience sampling method and were randomly assigned in to experimental and control groups (each group 15 people). Roger and Najarian's (1987) Emotional Control Questionnaire and Pianta's (1994) Parent-child Relationship Questionnaire were utilized to measure adolescent's emotional control and mother-adolescent relationship respectively. Experimental group was received 9 sessions of 90 minutes compassion-focused therapy. SPSS version 23 software and descriptive statistics methods such as mean and standard deviation and inferential statistics methods such as Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) was used for data analysis. Findings showed that the first hypothesis of the research based on the effectiveness of compassion-focused therapy on mothers' emotional control and its components (emotional inhibition, aggression inhibition, rumination or mental review and benign inhibition) has been confirmed. (P<0.01). Also, the results showed that the second hypothesis of the research based on the effectiveness of compassion-focused therapy on mother-adolescent relationships and its components (intimacy and dependency) has been confirmed. (P<0.01). The results of the two-month follow-up also showed that the effectiveness of this treatment was permanent. Based on the research, it can be concluded that compassion-focused therapy is suitable for emotional control of mothers and improvement of mother-adolescent relationships, and counselors and psychologists can use these findings to improve mother-adolescent relationships.

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