The Effects of Compassion-Focused Therapy on Social Adjustment in Female Prisoners

Background: prisoners are a vulnerable group; prison stay experience has several adverse effects on their lives. Objectives: Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) is among the prominent therapies that have proven effectiveness in resolving various problems in individuals. The present study aimed to determine the effects of CFT on the social adjustment of female prisoners. Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive, quasi-experimental study with a pre-test-post-test and a control group design. The research population comprised all female prisoners in Rasht City, Iran, in 2017. By the convenience sampling method, 30 individuals were randomly assigned in two groups of experimental and control. Both groups completed the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ) before the intervention. The experimental group received eight 90-minute sessions of CFT; however, the controls received no intervention. The obtained data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) in SPSS. Results: The mean±SD age of the experimental and control groups was 32.8(8.1) and 33.3(8.6) years, respectively. The Mean±SD score of social dis-adjustment scores of the experimental group decreased from 16.1(4.8) in the pre-test to 12.2(3.9) in the post-test (P<0.001). However, the Mean±SD scores of the dis-adjustment in the control group decreased from 15.7(4.5) in the pre-test to 15.4(4.3) in the post-test; this change was not statistically significant. Conclusion: The study results suggested that CFT improved the decline of social dis-adjustment in female prisoners.