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Khanjani M S, ramin M, jafari P, vahedi M. The Effect of Group Compassion-Focused Therapy on Shame and Distress Tolerance of Mothers of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder. IJPCP 2024; 30 (1) : 4820.1
URL: http://ijpcp.iums.ac.ir/article-1-4095-en.html
The Effect of Group Compassion-Focused Therapy on Shame and Distress Tolerance of Mothers of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Mohammad Saeed Khanjani1 , Mina Ramin 2, Parvin Jafari1 , Mohsen Vahedi3
1- Department of Counselling, School of Behavioral Sciences, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
2- Department of Counselling, School of Behavioral Sciences, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran. , raminmina75@gmail.com
3- Department of Statistics, School of Behavioral Sciences, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Keywords: Compassion-focused therapy, Shame, Distress tolerance, Autism spectrum disorder
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Introduction
One of the disorders that can have a negative impact on the family life is autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The birth of a child with ASD and developmental delays create psychological distress and tension for parents, especially mothers. Mothers of children with ASD may face social isolation, rejection, and blaming from others. These mothers often internalize the stigmas and experience shame due to their child’s condition. Low distress tolerance is a significant psychological indicator in mothers of children with ASD. One effective interventions for mothers of ASD children is compassion-focused therapy. It is necessary to screen the psychological conditions of these mothers, who are the primary caregivers of children. When mothers experience problems, it can further exacerbate the challenges faced by their ASD children. Consequently, implementing interventions to reduce their mental problems is important. The present study aimed to investigate the impact of group compassion-focused therapy on shame and distress tolerance in mothers of children with ASD.

Methods
This is a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test/post-test/one-month follow-up design. The study population consists of all mothers of children diagnosed with ASD who were covered by the Iranian Autism Association in 2023. For sampling, a convenience and snowball sampling were used. Thirty eligible mothers were randomly divided into intervention (n=15) and control (n=15) groups using a lottery method. The diagnosis of autism severity was done by a team of specialists, and based on the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale score. Participants completed the Internalized shame scale, Distress Tolerance Scale, and the other as shamer scale.

Results
In the intervention group, the mean scores of study variables were significantly different in the post-test and follow-up phases compared to the pre-test phase. There was a significant decrease in the mean score of Internalized shame scale  (P<0.05), a significant increase in the mean score of Distress Tolerance Scale (P<0.05), and a significant decrease in the mean score of other as shamer scale in the post-test and follow-up phases (P<0.05) (Table 1).



Conclusion
The aim of this study was to determine the effect of group compassion-focused therapy on shame and distress tolerance in mothers of children with ASD. the findings showed the effectiveness of group compassion-focused therapy in reducing shame and increasing distress tolerance of mothers. The process of shame reduction is achieved through visualization, cultivating self-compassion exercises, and compassionate reasoning, which allows individuals to courageously confront the challenges and hardships of life and stop self-blame for things that they cannot control. Also, it seems that attaining a sense of security leads to a reduction in distress and the attainment of peace. Moreover, by emotional self-regulation, which entails reducing negative emotions and increasing positive emotions, compassion-focused therapy can increase distress tolerance. The compassion-focused therapy can be used to help mothers of ASD children accept and effectively cope with their child’s conditions, rather than engaging in avoidance and denial. Additionally, it can contribute to improved mother-child relationship and overall well-being. 

Ethical Considerations

Compliance with ethical guidelines
The present study has ethical approval obtained from the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences (Code: IR.USWR.REC.1402.021). Written informed consent was obtained from all participants, and the confidentiality of their information was emphasized.

Funding
This article was extracted from the master’s thesis of the first author at the Department of Counseling, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences. This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Authors contributions
Conceptualization, investigation, review and editing: Mina Ramin. Supervision: Mohammad Saeed Khanjani, Parvin Jafari, Mohsen Vahedi.

Conflicts of interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank all participants for their cooperation in this study.



 
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Type of Study: Original Research | Subject: Psychiatry and Psychology
Received: 2024/01/13 | Accepted: 2024/06/23 | Published: 2024/08/19
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