The Effectiveness of Group Emotional Schema Therapy on Emotional Regulation and Social Anxiety Symptoms

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of group emotional schema therapy on emotional regulation, emotional schemas, and social anxiety. The research was quasi-experimental with a pretest and posttest design with a waiting list control group. The study population included 24 women aged 18 to 35 years old with social anxiety disorder, half of whom were randomly assigned to a treatment group or waiting list control. Ten sessions of group emotional schema therapy were conducted. Measures included an Emotional Regulation Questionnaire, Wells Anxious Thoughts Questionnaire, and the Leahy Emotional Schema Scale. Compared to participants in the control group Emotional Schema Therapy (EST) reduced anxiety symptoms, including health anxiety and social anxiety, increased reappraisal, and decreased suppression. Finally, emotional schema therapy increased the use of positive emotional schemas and decreased the use of negative emotional schemas. These findings support the effectiveness of EST in the treatment of these anxiety disorders.