Journal of Applied Psychological Research

The Effectiveness of Group Dialectical Behavior Therapy on the Tolerance of Ambiguity, Childhood Trauma, and External Shame in Women with Trichotillomania Disorder

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.

2 Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, Ardabil Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ardabil, Iran.

3 Department of General Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, Payame Noor University, Zarrinshahr Branch, Zarrinshahr, Iran.

4 Department of Clinical Psychology, Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

The present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of group Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) in the treatment of ambiguity tolerance, childhood trauma, and external humiliation in women with trichotillomania. The research method was conducted using a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design, which included a control group. Women diagnosed with trichotillomania in Tehran in 2024 comprised the research population. Based on inclusion criteria, 34 women were randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups. The Massachusetts General Hospital Hair Pulling Scale (MGH), the Multiple Stimulus Types Ambiguity Tolerance Scale (MSTAT-I), the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), and the External Shame Scale (ESS) were employed to evaluate the groups. Participants completed the research questionnaires once more after eight 90-minute group DBT sessions for the experimental group. SPSS-27 was employed to conduct multivariate covariance analysis (MANCOVA) on the data. The findings suggested that DBT significantly increased ambiguity tolerance and decreased physical abuse, emotional abuse, physical neglect, emotional neglect, sexual abuse, and external shame in women with trichotillomania (P<0.01). Dialectical Behavior Therapy facilitates the management of negative emotions via the acquisition of skills in emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and mindfulness, thereby allowing individuals to exert greater control over their actions without resorting to compulsive behaviors such as hair-pulling.

Keywords

بارانی، ح.، و فولاد چنگ، م. (1401). اثربخشی آموزش مهارت‌های رفتاردرمانی دیالکتیکی بر نشانه‌های اضطراب و افسردگی دانش‌آموزان. فصل‌نامه پژوهش‌های کاربردی روانشناختی، 13(1)، 304-287. https://doi.org/10.22059/japr.2022.311088.643658
حمید، ن.، بردبار، م.، و مرعشی، س. ع. (1401). اثربخشی درمان شناختی رفتاری همراه با وارونه‌سازی عادت بر کیفیت زندگی و نشانه‌های اختلال وسواس موکنی. مجلۀ پزشکی دانشگاه علوم پزشکی تبریز، 44(2)، 126-116. https://doi.org/10.34172/mj.2022.021
حمیدی نژاد، ن.، دولتشاهی، ب.، و باقری، ف. (1402). پیش‌بینی رفتارهای آشفتۀ خوردن براساس کمال‌گرایی و ترومای دوران کودکی: ارائۀ مدل تبیینی با نقش میانجی‌ شرم درونی‌شده. فصل‌نامه پژوهش‌های کاربردی روانشناختی، 14(3)، 256-239. https://doi.org/10.22059/japr.2023.332315.644044
حیدریان، س.، مهرابی زاده هنرمند، م.، داودی، ا.، و امیدیان، م. (1402). رابطۀ علی شرم بیرونی، خودانتقادی و ترس از شفقت به خود با خودجرحی در میان دانشجویان: نقش میانجی‌گر افسردگی و درگیری عاطفی خانواده. فصل‌نامه پژوهش‌های کاربردی روانشناختی، 14(4)، 131-113. https://doi.org/10.22059/japr.2023.335304.644119
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Journal of Applied Psychological Research
Volume 16, Issue 3
October 2025
Pages 69-87
  • Receive Date: 05 September 2024
  • Revise Date: 12 November 2024
  • Accept Date: 18 November 2024
  • First Publish Date: 20 January 2025
  • Publish Date: 23 September 2025