Volume 13, Issue 3 (Shenakht Journal of Psychology and Psychiatry 2026)
Shenakht Journal of Psychology and Psychiatry 2026, 13(3): 368-379 |
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Mashhadi Abbas F, khaneghahi S, Fardin M A. Comparison of the effectiveness of Michael Frisch cognitive psychotherapy and paradox therapy (PTC) on learned helplessness, students with obsessive-compulsive disorder (nomophobia). , Shenakht Journal of Psychology and Psychiatry. 2026; 13 (3) : 9
URL: http://shenakht.muk.ac.ir/article-1-2740-en.html
URL: http://shenakht.muk.ac.ir/article-1-2740-en.html
1- PhD Candidate in Educational Psychology, Department of Psychology, ZAH.C., Islamic Azad University, Zahedan, Iran
2- Department of Psychology, ZAH.C., Islamic Azad University, Zahedan, Iran ,khaneghahi.sophia@iau.ac.ir
3- Department of Psychology, ZAH.C., Islamic Azad University, Zahedan, Iran
2- Department of Psychology, ZAH.C., Islamic Azad University, Zahedan, Iran ,
3- Department of Psychology, ZAH.C., Islamic Azad University, Zahedan, Iran
Abstract: (110 Views)
Background and Aims: Nomophobia, defined as the fear and anxiety resulting from the lack of access to a mobile phone, is associated with negative cognitive-emotional patterns, including learned helplessness. Feelings of incompetence and loss of control may increase emotional dependence on mobile phones and intensify the severity of nomophobia. Therefore, the investigation of the effective psychological interventions aimed at reducing learned helplessness may play an important role in alleviating nomophobia symptoms among students. The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of Michael Frisch’s Cognitive Psychotherapy and Paradox Therapy (PTC) on reducing learned helplessness and the severity of nomophobia among female high school students in Mashhad, Iran.
Materials and Methods: This study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test/post-test and a two-month follow-up. The study population consisted of students with nomophobia in District 6 of Mashhad, Iran, during the 2025–26 academic year. In total. 45 participants were selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned to three groups, namely Frisch’s cognitive psychotherapy, paradox therapy, and control. The experimental groups received eight sessions of cognitive psychotherapy and six sessions of paradox therapy, respectively. Data were collected using the Nomophobia Questionnaire (Yildirim & Correia, 2015) and the Learned Helplessness Questionnaire (Quinless & Nelson, 1988). The obtained data were then analyzed using mixed-design ANOVA in SPSS software (version 26).
Results: The results of mixed ANOVA with Greenhouse–Geisser correction indicated significant effects of group, time, and group × time interaction on nomophobia (F=11.34, η²=0.35; F=35.79, η²=0.46; F=18.63, η²=0.47, respectively). Similarly, significant effects were found for learned helplessness, including group (F=88.40, η²=0.80), time (F=102.60, η²=0.71), and group × time interaction (F=48.70, η²=0.69) (P < 0.01). Bonferroni post hoc tests revealed that both therapeutic approaches were significantly more effective in reducing nomophobia and learned helplessness, compared to the control group. Although paradox therapy demonstrated greater mean improvement, compared to Frisch’s cognitive psychotherapy, this difference was not statistically significant.
Conclusion: The findings indicate that both therapeutic interventions were effective in improving nomophobia and learned helplessness among students. These approaches not only reduce maladaptive mobile phone dependence but also enhance psychological empowerment by decreasing feelings of helplessness. Therefore, implementing these interventions in educational and counseling settings may serve as an effective strategy for addressing digital-age challenges and promoting students’ mental health.
Materials and Methods: This study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test/post-test and a two-month follow-up. The study population consisted of students with nomophobia in District 6 of Mashhad, Iran, during the 2025–26 academic year. In total. 45 participants were selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned to three groups, namely Frisch’s cognitive psychotherapy, paradox therapy, and control. The experimental groups received eight sessions of cognitive psychotherapy and six sessions of paradox therapy, respectively. Data were collected using the Nomophobia Questionnaire (Yildirim & Correia, 2015) and the Learned Helplessness Questionnaire (Quinless & Nelson, 1988). The obtained data were then analyzed using mixed-design ANOVA in SPSS software (version 26).
Results: The results of mixed ANOVA with Greenhouse–Geisser correction indicated significant effects of group, time, and group × time interaction on nomophobia (F=11.34, η²=0.35; F=35.79, η²=0.46; F=18.63, η²=0.47, respectively). Similarly, significant effects were found for learned helplessness, including group (F=88.40, η²=0.80), time (F=102.60, η²=0.71), and group × time interaction (F=48.70, η²=0.69) (P < 0.01). Bonferroni post hoc tests revealed that both therapeutic approaches were significantly more effective in reducing nomophobia and learned helplessness, compared to the control group. Although paradox therapy demonstrated greater mean improvement, compared to Frisch’s cognitive psychotherapy, this difference was not statistically significant.
Conclusion: The findings indicate that both therapeutic interventions were effective in improving nomophobia and learned helplessness among students. These approaches not only reduce maladaptive mobile phone dependence but also enhance psychological empowerment by decreasing feelings of helplessness. Therefore, implementing these interventions in educational and counseling settings may serve as an effective strategy for addressing digital-age challenges and promoting students’ mental health.
Article number: 9
Keywords: Learned helplessness, Michael Frisch’s cognitive psychotherapy, Nomophobia, Paradox therapy (PTC)
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
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Received: 2025/11/24 | Accepted: 2026/01/5 | Published: 2026/10/19
Received: 2025/11/24 | Accepted: 2026/01/5 | Published: 2026/10/19
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