The Effectiveness of Schema Therapy on Reducing the Symptoms of Chronic Depression in Mothers of Children with Autism

Abstract Background and Aim: Parents with children diagnosed with autism face special and unique challenges in life in the areas of parenting, family, emotional, social and economic issues. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of schema therapy on reducing the symptoms of chronic depression in mothers with children with autism. Method: The method of quasi-experimental research was pre-test, post-test with control group. The statistical population included all mothers with autistic children in Gorgan in 2018. 30 people (15 in the experimental group) and (15 in the control group) were selected as the sample by purposive sampling. The experimental group was trained in groups for 8 sessions and the control group was placed on a waiting list for training. The research instrument was the Stress, Anxiety and Depression Questionnaire (1995). Analysis of variance was used to analyze the data. Results: The results showed that schema therapy training had a significant effect on reducing chronic depression in mothers with children with autism (p≤ 0.000). Conclusion: Therefore, according to the findings, it can be concluded that the treatment scheme can be used to treat chronic depression in mothers with children with autism.