Background & Objectives: Persistent Depressive Disorder (PDD) is defined as a depressive disorder with a minimum illness duration of two years, including 4 diagnostic subgroups (dysthymia, chronic major depression, recurrent major depression with incomplete remission between episodes, & double depression). A factor that persists in depression is rumination. Rumination is among the most problematic cognitive symptoms associated with depression. This study evaluated the effects of Emotional Schema Therapy (EST) that focuses on the individual's interpretations, strategies, and responses to emotions. Maladaptive schemas play an important role in the development or maintenance of depression. Schema Therapy (ST) is an integrative treatment approach to chronic lifelong problems. Treating depression–, induced rumination is essential in the treatment of psychological disorders. The current study aimed to compare the effects of EST and ST on rumination in patients with PDD (dysthymia). Methods: This was an expanded experimental project with pretest–, posttest–, follow–, up and a multi–, group design. Participating in the study was voluntary. The study sample consisted of 60 patients referring to Welfare Psychological Counseling Center in Shiraz Province, Iran, in 2017–,2018 who were selected and randomly assigned to the EST, groups, and control groups (n=20/group). The inclusion criteria were as follows: having at least a high–, school diploma degree, being aged from 20 to 50 years, providing a written consent form for cooperation in research, no substance use disorders, the absence of other psychological disorders, and no receipt of individual counseling or pharmacotherapy. The study groups completed the Ruminative Response Scale (RRS,Nolen–, Hoeksema & Morrow, 1991) at all measurement stages. The first experimental group participated in eight 90–, minute weekly sessions of EST based on Leahy et al. ’, s educational package (2011) for two months. The second experimental group participated in 10 one–, hour weekly sessions of ST based on the Young et al. ’, s package (2003) for 3 months. However, the control group received no treatment. Two months after the implementation of the posttest, the follow–, up phase was run. Descriptive statistics (mean & standard deviation) and inferential statistics, including one–, way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Chi–, squared test, repeated–, measures ANOVA, and Bonferroni post hoc test were applied in SPSS to analyze the obtained data. The significance level of the tests was considered 0. 05 Results: The current study results revealed that the effect of time (p<0. 001), group effect (p<0. 001), and the effect of time and group interaction on the mean scores of rumination were significant (p<0. 001). Furthermore, the mean scores of rumination in the EST group were significantly lower than those in the ST (p<0. 001) and control (p<0. 001) groups. Besides, the mean scores of rumination in the ST group were significantly lower than those in the control group (p<0. 001). There was a significant difference between the mean scores of rumination in the pretest and posttest stages (p<0. 001). There was also a significant difference between the mean scores of rumination in the pretest and follow–, up stages (p<0. 001),however, no significant difference was observed between the mean scores of rumination in posttest and follow–, up (p=0. 082). Conclusion: According to the research results, EST and ST can be used as effective methods to reduce rumination,however, EST was more effective than ST on rumination in patients with PDD (dysthymia).

The past 3 decades have witnessed a significant growth in the status of cognitive theory and practice of cognitive therapy in the treatment of depression. Schema therapy, a modified and integrative version of cognitive therapy, postulates that individuals with pervasive childhood experiences of neglect and/or abuse develop early maladaptive schemas(EMSs). EMSs refer to the deepest level of cognitive structures and are defined as self-defeating emotional and cognitive patterns regarding oneself and one’s personal relationships that begin early in our development. The EMSs play a causal role in the development of later psychopathology. The schema theory has not been developed specifically for an understanding of depression and depressive symptoms, but entrenched and chronic psychological disorders.However, the occurrence of an episode of Major Depression (MD) has indeed, been conceptualized as a potential serious and entrenched disorder due to its highly recurrent and for a substantial number of individuals, chronic course. Indeed chronic depression is common, difficult to treat, and a significant public health problem. Conceptualizing patients with chronic depression in terms of generalized maladaptive schemas helps organize a large number of complaints under a common theme. A focus on schemas in the treatment of chronic depression differs from traditional cognitive therapy by placing a greater emphasis on early childhood experiences, making greater use of emotive techniques such as guided imagery, using the therapeutic relationship as a vehicle of change, and conducting a lengthier course of therapy because of the resistance to change of underlying schemas.

Objective: This study aims to compare the effectiveness of integrated schema therapy and mindfulness-based intervention with schema therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) on the psychological flexibility of women exhibiting obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Methods: The study used a quasi-experimental pre-test-post-test design with control and follow-up groups. The research was conducted on women with obsessive disorder who were referred to the Nedaye Agahi and Zehne Pouya Clinic in Tehran City, Iran, during the fall and winter of 2021. A total of 60 participants were selected using a convenience sampling method and were randomly assigned to three intervention groups: An integrated schema therapy and mindfulness-based intervention group, a schema therapy group, a CBT group and one control group. Data were collected using the psychological flexibility questionnaire and the Yale-Brown obsessive-compulsive scale. A repeated measures analysis of variance was conducted using SPSS software. Results: The results revealed significant differences among all three treatment groups compared to the control. In particular, the integrated interventions of schema therapy and mindfulness, as well as schema therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy, demonstrated a significant effect on psychological flexibility scores (P<0.05) compared to the control group. However, the two-way comparisons for other differences were not significant (P>0.05).  Conclusion: Given the emotional and cognitive challenges faced by patients with obsessive disorders, it is essential to prioritize these aspects in the treatment process.

Introduction: Musicians experience many negative thoughts and emotions due to the diminishing importance of their jobs in Iran. Rumination and worry are common in the community of artists, especially artists in the music field. This importance has a high relationship with their mental health and quality of life. Therefore, the present research was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of schema therapy training on music students' rumination and worry. Methods: The present study was a semi-experimental study with a pre-test and post-test design and a two-month follow-up with the control group. Using the available sampling method, 72 subjects were selected among the music students of Shiraz in 1402, and 36 subjects were randomly placed in each group. The subjects were evaluated in the pre-test, post-test, and follow-up phase with Nolen Hoeksma and Maro's Rumination Response Scale (RRS) and the Pennsylvania State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ). The experimental group was trained during 8 sessions of 90 minutes by relying on Young et al. 's schema therapy protocol. Data were analyzed SPSS software version 26 and multivariate covariance analysis. Results: There was no significant difference between the experimental group and the control group in terms of age, gender, and marital status (P<0. 05). Schema therapy training program led to the reduction of rumination and worry in music students (P=0. 001). The largest effect size in the post-test was related to rumination (25. 2%) and worry (24%), and in the follow-up, it was the same (32. 8%) and (26. 1%). Conclusion: According to the results, the schema therapy training program led to the reduction of rumination and worry in music students of Shiraz, and it is suggested to use this training program for the rehabilitation of music students.