The Effectiveness of Cognitive Analytic Therapy on the Self-efficacy and Interpersonal Problems of Women with Dependent Personality Disorder

Purpose: The present research aimed to study the effect of cognitive analytic therapy on the self-efficacy and interpersonal problems of women with dependent personality disorder. Methods: The present research was a quasi-experimental study with the pretest-posttest design. Subjects of the experimental group consisted of all women in Tehran aged 19 to 40 years of age who had referred to Azad University counseling centers (Roodehen branch), Tonekaboni counseling center, and researcher’s counseling office. They were selected after being recognized as having dependent personality disorder through Millon Personality Test. They were administered with ten cognitive-analytic therapy sessions, while those in the control group did not received the treatment. All subjects filled out the Sherer (1982) General Self-Efficacy Scale and the Barkham (1996) Inventory of Interpersonal Problems before and one month after the intervention. Findings: The results showed that cognitive-analytic therapy was significantly effective in increasing the self-efficacy and reducing the interpersonal problems of subjects in the test group (P<0.0001). The study findings indicated the effectiveness of cognitive analytic therapy in increasing the self-efficacy and reducing the interpersonal problems of women with dependent personality disorder. Conclusions: This approach can be used by mental health professionals for improving the symptoms of this disorder among Iranian women.