The Effectiveness of Intensive Short-Term Psychodynamic Psychotherapy on Worry, Distress Tolerance, and Conflict Management in Adolescents with Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder
ABSTRACT The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Intensive Short-Term Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP) on worry, distress tolerance, and conflict management in adolescents with Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder (OCD). This quasi-experimental study was conducted on adolescent girls and boys diagnosed with Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder who were referred to psychotherapy centers and clinics in Ardabil. Based on the quasi-experimental research design, 30 participants were selected through convenience sampling from a psychotherapy center and were then randomly assigned to either the experimental group (15 participants) or the control group (15 participants). Intensive Short-Term Psychodynamic Psychotherapy was administered to the experimental group according to the protocol developed by Tasca and colleagues (2005) in 16 weekly sessions lasting 90 minutes each. Participants were assessed at pretest and posttest stages using the Penn State Worry Questionnaire, the Distress Tolerance Scale developed by Simons and Gaher (2005), and the Interpersonal Conflict Management Questionnaire developed by Rahim (1983). Data were analyzed using repeated-measures multivariate analysis of covariance in IBM SPSS Statistics. The results of the statistical analyses indicated that Intensive Short-Term Psychodynamic Psychotherapy had significant effects on worry, distress tolerance, and conflict management in adolescents with Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder. After adjusting the mean scores of the two groups based on pretest scores, the differences were statistically significant. The findings demonstrated the effectiveness of Intensive Short-Term Psychodynamic Psychotherapy on worry, distress tolerance, and conflict management in adolescents with Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder. Therefore, this therapeutic approach can be used alongside other treatment methods, including pharmacotherapy, in specialized mental health centers and clinics to reduce psychological symptoms and problems in affected individuals.