Community Health Journal

Community Health Journal

The Effects of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy on Psychological Flexibility and Rumination in Patients with Non-Cardiac Chest Pains

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
F Heidari 1
P Askary 2
A Heidari 2
R Pasha 3
B Makvandi 3
1 PhD Student of Psychology, Dept of Psychology, Science and Research College of Khuzestan, Ahvaz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran.
2 Associate Prof, Dept of Psychology, Ahvaz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran.
3 Assistant Prof, Dept of Psychology, Ahvaz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran.
10.22123/chj.2018.127159.1119
Abstract
Introduction: Chest pain is from among the common complaints individuals make when referring to therapeutic centers, but often after examinations it becomes evident that the pain has a non-cardiac origin. The cognitive-behavioral therapy is a type of psychotherapy based on the two cognitive and behavioral perspectives, with an emphasis on correcting the behavior and changing it. Therefore, the current study was conducted aimed at investigating the effects of cognitive-behavioral therapy on psychological flexibility and rumination in patients with non-cardiac chest pains.
Materials and Methods: This is a randomized educational trial study with a pretest and posttest design, and a follow-up with the control group after two months. The research sample was selected purposively, including patients having referred to Tehran Heart Hospital, comprised of 40 patients with non-cardiac chest pains who were then randomly divided into experimental and control groups. The subjects responded to the psychological flexibility and rumination questionnaires. The experimental group was subjected to eight 90-minute weekly sessions of cognitive-behavioral therapy and regarding the control group, weekly visits were conducted free of charge. The results were analyzed using the independent t-test, the two-way analysis of variance with repeated measurements, and the Bonfe rroni method, making use of software.
Results: The results demonstrated that after performing 8 sessions of cognitive-behavioral therapy, the mean score of the rumination scale decreased and that of psychological flexibility increased in the treatment group, in contrast to the control group (p<0.001).
Conclusion: Providing trainings in cognitive-behavioral therapy is effective in psychological flexibility and rumination in patients with non-cardiac chest pains with physical disabilities.
Keywords
Cognitive-behavioral therapy
Psychological flexibility
Rumination
Non-cardiac chest pain
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