Empowering Exceptional Children

Empowering Exceptional Children

The Effectiveness of Schema-Based Therapy on Self-Esteem and Distress Tolerance in Students with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Comorbid Social Anxiety

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Farahnaz Joobanian 1
abbasali hosein khanzadeh 2
Mahnaz Khosrojavid 3
Iraj Shakerinia 4
1 Ph.D. Student, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran.
2 Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran.
3 Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Guilan. Rasht, Iran.
4 Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Literature and Humanities. University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran.
10.22034/ceciranj.2025.503026.1935
Abstract
The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of schema-based therapy on self-esteem and distress tolerance in students with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and comorbid social anxiety. This research employed a quasi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest control group format. The statistical population consisted of all female high school students attending public schools in Yazd during the 2023–2024 academic year who were diagnosed with ADHD and social anxiety disorder. A total of 20 participants were selected through multistage sampling and randomly assigned to either the experimental or control group (10 participants per group). The instruments used in this study included the Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham Rating Scale (SNAP-IV) for ADHD, the Social Anxiety Scale by La Greca and Lopez, the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory, and the Distress Tolerance Scale developed by Simons and Gaher. The experimental group received ten 60-minute sessions of schema-based therapy, while the control group did not receive any intervention during the study period. Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) via SPSS version 23. The results indicated that schema-based therapy significantly improved self-esteem and distress tolerance in students with ADHD and social anxiety disorder, with a statistically significant difference observed between the experimental and control groups (p < 0.001). Therefore, it is recommended that clinicians incorporate schema-based therapy into intervention programs for students with ADHD and social anxiety to enhance their self-esteem and distress tolerance.
Keywords
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Distress Tolerance
Schema-Based Therapy
Self-Esteem
Social Anxiety

Subjects

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  • Receive Date 28 January 2025
  • Revise Date 06 June 2025
  • Accept Date 07 June 2025