Effectiveness of Positive Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on Psychological Flexibility and Meaning in Life Among Single Women

Abstract

Objective: The current research aimed to examine the effectiveness of positive cognitive behavioral therapy on psychological flexibility and the meaning of life among single women aged 25 to 35 in Tehran.

Methods: The method of the study was quasi-experimental with a pre-test-post-test design, including a control group and a follow-up phase. The population of this study consisted of single women aged 25 to 35 from Tehran, who had visited the community centers of District One during the second half of 2021. The sampling was purposive, and the study sample included a control group and an experimental group, each consisting of 20 randomly placed participants. The experimental group received 8 bi-weekly two-hour sessions in a group setting, following the protocol of Bannink (2014). Instruments used in this study included the Bond Psychological Flexibility Questionnaire (2011) and Steger's Meaning in Life Questionnaire (2010). Data analysis was conducted in two phases: descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. For inferential statistics, given the design of the study, parametric tests and the normality of data distribution were assessed using the Shapiro-Wilk test and univariate analysis of covariance, and data analysis was performed using SPSS version 24.

Findings: The findings indicated that positive cognitive behavioral therapy significantly increased psychological flexibility (F = 75.22, p = .001) and enhanced the meaning of life (F = 57.13, p = .001) among the participants, and these effects were maintained during the follow-up phase.

Conclusion: Positive cognitive behavioral therapy can be an effective method for improving psychological flexibility and meaning in life among single women and can be utilized by therapists and clients.