Shenakht Journal of Psychology & Psychiatry

Objectives: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Schema Therapy (ST), and Combined Therapy (Schema Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy) on the mental health of individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Materials and Methods: The study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest and a control group. A total of 60 individuals diagnosed with OCD (based on the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale and clinical interviews) were selected through purposive sampling from psychiatric clinics in Tehran in 2023. Participants were randomly assigned to three experimental groups (15 individuals per group) and one control group (15 individuals). All four groups completed the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28). Subsequently, the three experimental groups received therapy, while the control group did not receive any intervention. After the intervention, a post-test was conducted. Data analysis was performed using one-way ANCOVA, multivariate ANCOVA (MANCOVA), and Bonferroni post hoc tests in SPSS-26.

Results: The findings indicated that all three intervention groups—Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Schema Therapy, and Combined Therapy—had a significant and positive impact on participants' mental health. However, while no significant difference was observed between the effectiveness of DBT and ST in post-test scores, Combined Therapy was found to be more effective than the other two interventions in improving mental health.

Conclusion: It can be concluded that Combined Therapy (DBT and ST) is more effective in enhancing the mental health of individuals with OCD compared to either intervention alone.