The effectiveness of schema therapy on rumination, cognitive fusion, cognitive avoidance and neurocognitive processing in couples applying for divorce

Introduction: Divorce is a process that begins with the emotional crisis of both couples and ends with trying to resolve the conflict through entering a new success with a new role and lifestyle. The present study was conducted with the aim of the effectiveness of schema therapy on rumination, cognitive fusion, cognitive avoidance and neurocognitive processing in couples applying for divorce in Tabriz city. Methods: This research was a semi-experimental design. The statistical population of the research was all couples applying for divorce in Tabriz city in 2018, and 30 of them were purposefully selected. In order to collect information, questionnaires of rumination, cognitive fusion, cognitive avoidance and 64-channel quantitative electroencephalography device were used, and Yang's schema therapy protocol was used for intervention. The collected data were analyzed with using descriptive statistical methods of mean and standard deviation and inferential statistical methods of multivariate covariance analysis. Result: The results showed that schema therapy reduces rumination, cognitive fusion, and cognitive avoidance, and also increases beta frequency and decreases delta in the FZ region (P<0/01 ). Conclusion: Based on the results obtained from this research, the schema therapy can be used as an effective intervention to reduce rumination, cognitive fusion and cognitive avoidance of couples applying for divorce.