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IRCT20260927071205N1 IRCT 2026-10-14 Islamic Azad University Effect of Schema Therapy on Quality of Life and Psychological Well-being in Women with MS The Effectiveness of Schema Therapy on Quality of Life and Psychological Well-being in Women with Multiple Sclerosis 2026-10-14 anticipated 70 Recruiting https://irct.ir/trial/93673 interventional Randomization: Randomized, Blinding: Not blinded, Placebo: Not used, Assignment: Parallel, Purpose: Treatment, Randomization description: After determining the sample size, 30 participants will be randomly allocated, using simple random assignment by lottery, into two equal groups of experimental and control (15 participants each). N/A Multiple Sclerosis. Intervention 1: Intervention group: Participants in this group receive "Group Schema Therapy" based on Young's standard protocol for MS patients. The program consists of 15 weekly 90-minute sessions (total of 15 weeks) as follows:​Phase 1: Assessment and Psychoeducation (Sessions 1–4)​Objectives: Identifying Early Maladaptive Schemas (e.g., Defectiveness, Dependence, Self-Sacrifice) and developing an understanding of the relationship between schemas and disease experiences.​Activities:​Session 1: Introduction to therapy and group principles, completion of the YSQ-S3 questionnaire, reviewing the patient's life history and its connection to schemas.​Session 2: Analysis of schemas activated by the illness (e.g., "I am worthless" due to physical disability), psychoeducation on the concept of "Schema Modes" (Vulnerable Child, Punitive Parent).​Sessions 3 & 4: Utilization of the "Historical Imagery" technique to explore the roots of schemas (e.g., childhood rejection experiences).​Phase 2: Schema Change and Cognitive Restructuring (Sessions 5–10)​Objectives: Weakening maladaptive schemas and strengthening the "Healthy Adult" mode.​Activities:​Session 5: Schema dialogue: Dialoguing with the "Defectiveness" schema as a separate entity.​Session 6: "Letter Therapy" exercise: Writing letters to schemas from the perspective of the Healthy Adult.​Sessions 7 & 8: Cognitive restructuring using belief challenge worksheets (e.g., replacing "I am a burden to others" with "I am valuable despite my limitations").​Sessions 9 & 10: "Limited Emotional Catharsis" technique to reduce anger toward the body.​Phase 3: Reinforcing Adaptive Behaviors and Relapse Prevention (Sessions 11–15)​Objectives: Replacing maladaptive behavioral patterns with healthy behaviors.​Activities:​Session 11: Designing a "Behavioral Plan" to reduce excessive self-sacrifice (e.g., saying no to unreasonable requests from others).​Session 12: Role-playing to practice constructive social interactions.​Sessions 13 & 14: Chair technique practice for schema modes: Dialogue between the "Vulnerable Child" and the "Healthy Adult".​Session 15: Reviewing achievements, formulating a long-term self-care plan, and final assessment (Young, 2023). Intervention 2: Control group: Control group: Participants in this group receive no psychological intervention during the study period and are placed on a waiting list. For ethical considerations, after the completion of the study, post-test, and follow-up assessments, an abbreviated course of Schema Therapy will be offered to the control group. No - There is not a plan to make this available Justification or reason for not sharing IPD is To protect participants' confidentiality, and in accordance with the informed consent, which permits the use of data only for the purposes of this study, there is no plan to share individual participant data. Results will be reported at the group level.
public Mojtaba Rahnamazadeh
No. 40, Fajr 11, Noor Street
Amol Iran (Islamic Republic of) 4616915686 +98 11 4427 1329 mojtaba.rahnama@iau.ir Islamic Azad University scientific Mojtaba Rahnamazadeh
No. 40, Fajr 11, Noor Street
Amol Iran (Islamic Republic of) 4616915686 +98 11 4427 1329 mojtaba.rahnama@iau.ir Islamic Azad University Iran (Islamic Republic of) Confirmed diagnosis of multiple sclerosis by a specialist physician Age between 20 and 60 years Informed consent to participate At least a high school education Receiving pharmacological treatment for MS Not receiving concurrent psychotherapy 20 years 60 years Female Acute or chronic psychiatric disorder Absence from more than two treatment sessions G35 Multiple sclerosis Behavior Behavior Intervention group: Participants in this group receive "Group Schema Therapy" based on Young's standard protocol for MS patients. The program consists of 15 weekly 90-minute sessions (total of 15 weeks) as follows:​Phase 1: Assessment and Psychoeducation (Sessions 1–4)​Objectives: Identifying Early Maladaptive Schemas (e.g., Defectiveness, Dependence, Self-Sacrifice) and developing an understanding of the relationship between schemas and disease experiences.​Activities:​Session 1: Introduction to therapy and group principles, completion of the YSQ-S3 questionnaire, reviewing the patient's life history and its connection to schemas.​Session 2: Analysis of schemas activated by the illness (e.g., "I am worthless" due to physical disability), psychoeducation on the concept of "Schema Modes" (Vulnerable Child, Punitive Parent).​Sessions 3 & 4: Utilization of the "Historical Imagery" technique to explore the roots of schemas (e.g., childhood rejection experiences).​Phase 2: Schema Change and Cognitive Restructuring (Sessions 5–10)​Objectives: Weakening maladaptive schemas and strengthening the "Healthy Adult" mode.​Activities:​Session 5: Schema dialogue: Dialoguing with the "Defectiveness" schema as a separate entity.​Session 6: "Letter Therapy" exercise: Writing letters to schemas from the perspective of the Healthy Adult.​Sessions 7 & 8: Cognitive restructuring using belief challenge worksheets (e.g., replacing "I am a burden to others" with "I am valuable despite my limitations").​Sessions 9 & 10: "Limited Emotional Catharsis" technique to reduce anger toward the body.​Phase 3: Reinforcing Adaptive Behaviors and Relapse Prevention (Sessions 11–15)​Objectives: Replacing maladaptive behavioral patterns with healthy behaviors.​Activities:​Session 11: Designing a "Behavioral Plan" to reduce excessive self-sacrifice (e.g., saying no to unreasonable requests from others).​Session 12: Role-playing to practice constructive social interactions.​Sessions 13 & 14: Chair technique practice for schema modes: Dialogue between the "Vulnerable Child" and the "Healthy Adult".​Session 15: Reviewing achievements, formulating a long-term self-care plan, and final assessment (Young, 2023). Control group: Control group: Participants in this group receive no psychological intervention during the study period and are placed on a waiting list. For ethical considerations, after the completion of the study, post-test, and follow-up assessments, an abbreviated course of Schema Therapy will be offered to the control group. Quality of life (measured with the Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life Questionnaire, MSQOL-54) and psychological well-being (measured with the 18-item short form of the Ryff Psychological Well-Being Scale) will be assessed at pretest, posttest, and follow-up. Timepoint: Pretest (before the intervention), posttest (immediately after the 15th session), and follow-up (two months after the end of the intervention). Method of measurement: uality of life using the Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life-54 (MSQOL-54) questionnaire, and psychological well-being using the 18-item short form of Ryff's Psychological Well-Being Scale. Islamic Azad University Approved 2025-09-02 Research Ethics Committee of Islamic Azad University, Ayatollah Amoli Branch No. 40, Fajr 11, Noor Street Amol Mazandaran Iran (Islamic Republic of)