Comparison of the Effectiveness of Self-Compassion Therapy and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on Self-Criticism and Resilience in Individuals with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Related to the Iraqi Civil War

Ahmed  Radhi Khaleefah; Sajjad Basharpoor; Nader  Hajloo; Akbar  Atadokht

doi:10.61838/5xaqt229

Authors

Ahmed Radhi Khaleefah PhD student, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Mohagheg Ardabili University, Ardabil, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0009-0000-5422-5422
Sajjad Basharpoor Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Mohaghegh Ardabili University, Ardabil, Iran https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2920-2605
Nader Hajloo Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Mohaghegh Ardabili University, Ardabil, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2935-7455
Akbar Atadokht Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Mohaghegh Ardabili University, Ardabil, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5538-9242

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61838/5xaqt229

Keywords:

self-compassion therapy, trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, self-criticism, resilience, war-related posttraumatic stress disorder

Abstract

Purpose: The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of self-compassion therapy and trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) in reducing self-criticism and enhancing resilience among individuals with war-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Methods and Materials: This experimental study employed a multigroup pretest–posttest design. A total of 60 individuals with PTSD related to the Iraqi Civil War were randomly assigned to two experimental groups (self-compassion therapy and trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy) and one control group (waiting-list control). The research instruments included the Mississippi Scale for Combat-Related PTSD, the Levels of Self-Criticism Scale (LOSC), and the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) and the Bonferroni post hoc test in SPSS version 26.

Findings: The results indicated that both interventions significantly reduced self-criticism and improved resilience (p < .05). The Bonferroni post hoc test further showed that trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy was significantly more effective than self-compassion therapy (p < .05).

Conclusion: The findings demonstrated that both self-compassion therapy and trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy significantly reduced self-criticism and enhanced resilience among individuals with war-related PTSD, whereas no significant changes were observed in the control group. Furthermore, comparison of the two interventions indicated that trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy was more effective than self-compassion therapy in reducing self-criticism and improving resilience.

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