The Effectiveness of Compassion Therapy on Body Image Perception in Individuals with Leprosy in Tabriz

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 M.A. Student, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. )Corresponding author)

3 Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

10.22038/mjms.2024.82555.4757

Abstract

The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of compassion therapy on body image perception in individuals with leprosy in the city of Tabriz. The research employed a semi-experimental method with a pretest-posttest design and a control group. The statistical population consisted of all individuals with leprosy in Tabriz in 2024. After clinical interviews and considering inclusion and exclusion criteria, 32 individuals were selected through convenience sampling and were randomly assigned to experimental (16 individuals) and control (16 individuals) groups. Both groups were assessed using the McKinley and Hyde Body Image Perception Questionnaire (1996). The experimental group received eight sessions of compassion therapy over two months, with one 90-minute group session per week. At the end of the treatment period, both groups completed the body image perception questionnaire again. The data were analyzed using multivariate covariance analysis. The results indicated a significant difference in body image perception between the experimental and control groups in individuals with leprosy (P<0.01). After the treatment, the level of body image perception (body shame and body surveillance) in the experimental group significantly decreased compared to the pretest and the control group. Therefore, the findings of this study suggest that compassion therapy influences body image perception in individuals with leprosy. These results highlight the potential of this method as an effective treatment for body image perception in leprosy patients.

Keywords

References

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Medical Journal of Mashhad university of Medical Sciences
Volume 68, Issue 1
March and April 2025
Pages 81-88

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