Efficacy of Training Group Mindfulness on the Anxiety and Depression of the People with Gender Dysphoria Disorder

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 PhD student in Psychology, Department of Psychology, Islamic Azad University, Yasouj Branch, Yasouj, Iran.

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Islamic Azad University, Yasouj Branch, Yasouj, Iran (Corresponding Author)

3 Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Islamic Azad University, Yasouj Branch, Yasouj, Iran

Abstract

Introduction: Gender dysphoria disorder usually causes psychological damages due to social conditions of the societies. The present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the efficacy of training group mindfulness on the anxiety and depression of the people with gender dysphoria disorder.
 
Methods: The present study was quasi-experimental with pretest, posttest, control-group and three-month follow-up stage design. The statistical population of the present study included all men and women with gender dysphoria disorder who referred to the organization of wellbeing in the city of Shiraz in 2018-19. 30 people with sexual dissatisfaction were selected through non-random convenient sampling method and they were randomly accommodated into experimental and control groups (15 people in each group). The experimental group received the intervention of training group mindfulness (eight sessions) during two months. The applied questionnaires in this study included anxiety questionnaire (AQ) and depression questionnaire (DQ). The data were analyzed through repeated measurement ANOVA method.
Results: The results showed that training group mindfulness has effect on the anxiety and depression of the people with gender dysphoria disorder (p<0.0001) as this kind of training led to the decrease of anxiety (0.61) and depression (0.49) in these people.
Conclusion: According to the findings of the present study it can be concluded that training mindfulness can be used as an efficient method to decrease anxiety and depression in the people with gender dysphoria disorder through employing techniques such as thoughts, emotions and mindful behavior.

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