Introduction: Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) is a chronic and debilitating condition، often accompanied by substantial impairments in psychological and interpersonal functioning. This study examined the effectiveness of an integrated Emotion-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (EFT-CBT) package in improving emotion regulation and reducing rumination among women with CPTSD.
Method: This quasi-experimental study employed a nonequivalent control group design. Thirty women survivors of domestic violence with CPTSD in Tehran were recruited and assigned to intervention and control groups (15 participants each). Eligibility was assessed using the International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ) and the Domestic Violence Questionnaire (DVQ). Participants completed the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) and the Ruminative Response Scale (RRS) at pretest, posttest, and one-month follow-up.
Results: The intervention accounted for 58.3% of the variance in emotion regulation scores and 88.7% of the variance in rumination scores, indicating substantial effects across the assessment points. Improvements in both outcomes were maintained at the one-month follow-up.
Discussion and Conclusion: The integrated Emotion-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (EFT-CBT) package was effective in enhancing emotion regulation and reducing rumination among women survivors of domestic violence with CPTSD. These findings support its potential as an integrated intervention to address emotional and cognitive difficulties in this population across clinical and community settings.