The effectiveness of trauma-focused mentalization-based group therapy on psychological distress and cognitive errors in women with war experience
Keywords:
trauma-focused mentalization-based therapy; group therapy; psychological distress; cognitive errors; women; war experience.Abstract
War-related experiences can create persistent psychological consequences for women, including elevated psychological distress and maladaptive cognitive processing. The present study examined the effectiveness of trauma-focused mentalization-based group therapy in reducing psychological distress and cognitive errors among women with war experience. This applied quasi-experimental study used a pre-test-post-test design with a control group and a follow-up phase. The sample consisted of 40 eligible women with war experience in Tabriz who were selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned to an experimental group and a control group, with 20 participants in each group. The experimental group received trauma-focused mentalization-based group therapy in ten weekly 90-minute sessions, whereas the control group received no intervention. Psychological distress was measured using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, and cognitive errors were measured using the Cognitive Errors Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance, univariate analysis of covariance, and paired-sample t-tests. Psychological distress in the experimental group decreased from 32.85 +/- 5.21 at pre-test to 21.40 +/- 4.86 at post-test and remained stable at follow-up (22.10 +/- 4.71). Cognitive errors decreased from 131.60 +/- 18.35 at pre-test to 94.25 +/- 15.80 at post-test and remained stable at follow-up (96.10 +/- 16.22). The multivariate effect of group was significant, Wilks Lambda = 0.43, F(2, 35) = 23.49, p = .001, partial eta squared = .57. Univariate analyses also showed significant group effects for psychological distress, F(1, 36) = 48.72, p = .001, partial eta squared = .58, and cognitive errors, F(1, 36) = 44.56, p = .001, partial eta squared = .55. Post-test-follow-up differences in the experimental group were not significant for psychological distress, t = 1.31, p = .20, or cognitive errors, t = 1.15, p = .26. Trauma-focused mentalization-based group therapy was effective in reducing psychological distress and cognitive errors among women with war experience, and the treatment effects were maintained at follow-up.
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