The Effectiveness of Semantic Cognitive Reconstruction Therapy on Depression, Anxiety and Stress in Patients with Gender Dysphoria

Abstract

The present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the effectiveness of semantic cognitive reconstruction on depression, anxiety, and stress in patients with gender dysphoria. The present paper is a quasi-experimental investigation of the “pretest-posttest with control group design.” The statistical cohort comprised all gender dysphoric patients who were referred to the Ardabil Welfare in 2022. The statistical sample included 30 gender dysphoric patients according to the psychiatrist's diagnosis, who were selected in the available sampling method and randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups (15 people in each group). The Depression, anxiety, and stress scale (DASS-42) were used to measure research variables in the stages before and after treatment. The experimental group underwent nine sessions of semantic cognitive reconstruction therapy, each lasting 90 minutes, following the pretest. The post-test was administered at the conclusion of the treatment. The data were analyzed using the covariance analysis procedure and SPSS-24 software. The analysis results indicated that the experimental group's patients experienced a decrease in tension, anxiety, and depression as a result of this therapeutic intervention (P<0.001). For patients with GD, semantic cognitive reconstruction may serve as an effective treatment strategy for alleviating emotional disturbances. It is recommended to conduct training courses in this area.

Keywords

• anxiety
• depression
• gender dysphoria
• semantic cognitive reconstruction
• stress