A Pilot Study to Evaluate the Efficacy of Self-Attachment to Treat Chronic Anxiety and/or Depression in Iranian Women

Abbas Edalat, Massoumeh Farsinezhad, Makhsoos Bokharaei and Fateme Judy
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Abbas Edalat: Algorithmic Human Development, Department of Computing, Imperial College London, London SW7 2RH, UK
Massoumeh Farsinezhad: Faculty of Psychology and Education, Tehran University, Tehran 14459 83861, Iran
Makhsoos Bokharaei: Faculty of Education and Psychology, Alzahra University, Tehran 19938 93973, Iran
Fateme Judy: Department of Psychology, Islamic Azad University of Mahallat, Mahallat 37819 58514, Iran

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 11, 1-14

Abstract: The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the efficacy of the new Self-Attachment Technique (SAT) in treating resistant anxiety and depression, lasting at least three years, among Iranian women from different social backgrounds. In this self-administrable and algorithmic intervention, the participant, using their childhood photos, imaginatively creates an affectional bond with their childhood self, vows to consistently support and lovingly re-raise this child to emotional well-being. We conducted a longitudinal study with repeated measurement to evaluate the efficacy of SAT using ANOVA. Thirty-eight women satisfying the inclusion and exclusion criteria were recruited from different parts of Tehran. To describe the SAT protocols, a total of eight one-to-one sessions were offered to the recruits, the first four were weekly while the last four were fortnightly. The participants were expected to practice the protocols for twenty minutes twice a day. Two questionnaires, GAD-7 and PHQ-9, were used to measure anxiety and depression levels before and after the intervention and in a three-month follow-up. Thirty women completed the course. The change in anxiety level between the pre-test and the post-test was significant at p < 0.001 with effect size 2.5. The change in anxiety between pre-test and follow-up test was also significant at p < 0.001 with effect size 3.5. The change in anxiety between the post-test and the follow-up was significant at p < 0.05 with effect size 0.6. For depression, the changes between pre-test and post-test as well as between pre-test and follow-up were significant at p < 0.001 with effect size 2.3 and 3.1 respectively.

Keywords: attachment theory; affectional bond; attachment object; childhood self; adult self; re-parenting; affect regulation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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