The Efficacy of Schema Therapy on Self-Compassion and Cognitive Distortions in Adolescents Affected by Romantic Breakup

Nabaei, Mohammad; Tavakoli, Hossein

doi:10.22034/jmp.2026.557098.1157

The Efficacy of Schema Therapy on Self-Compassion and Cognitive Distortions in Adolescents Affected by Romantic Breakup

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

Mohammad Nabaei

Hossein Tavakoli

Department of Psychology, ST.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

10.22034/jmp.2026.557098.1157

Abstract

Objective: The present study aimed to investigate whether a group‑based schema therapy program is effective in improving self‑compassion and reducing cognitive distortions among adolescents who have experienced a recent romantic breakup.
Methods: In 2025, thirty male adolescents from District 1 of Tehran who had recently undergone a romantic breakup were recruited using purposive sampling and randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 15) and a control group (n = 15). All participants completed the Self‑Compassion Scale (SCS), the Cognitive Distortion Questionnaire (CDQ), and the Ross Love Trauma Questionnaire (RLTQ) at pretest and posttest. The experimental group received ten weekly 90‑minute sessions of schema therapy based on Young et al. (2003), while the control group received no intervention during the study period. Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) in SPSS 27 with a significance level of p < 0.05.
Results: After controlling for pretest scores, schema therapy led to significantly higher self‑compassion (F = 10.933, p = 0.003) and significantly lower cognitive distortions (F = 9.976, p = 0.004) compared with the control group, with effect sizes indicating that 28.8% and 27.0% of the variance in these outcomes, respectively, were attributable to the intervention.
Conclusion: The findings suggest that schema therapy is an effective intervention for enhancing self‑compassion and reducing cognitive distortions in male adolescents following romantic breakup. Further research with larger and more diverse samples is warranted

Keywords

Schema Therapy

Self-Compassion

Cognitive Distortions

Romantic Breakup

Subjects

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