The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) on Emotion Regulation and Distress Tolerance among Firefighters in Isfahan

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy improved emotion regulation and distress tolerance among firefighters in Isfahan. Thirty firefighters were randomly assigned to either an eight-session mindfulness-based cognitive therapy program or a waiting-list control group. After the intervention, those who received the therapy showed better emotion regulation and higher distress tolerance compared to the control group. The findings suggest that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy can be used to promote emotional health and stress resilience in firefighters.

Study at a glance

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on emotion regulation and stress tolerance among firefighters in Isfahan. The research was conducted as a quasi-experimental study with a control group and random assignments, using a pretest and a posttest. Thirty firefighters were selected from six stations of all fire stations and then randomly assigned into two experimental and control groups. They replied to instruments such as the emotion regulation questionnaire (CERQ) and the Distress Tolerance Questionnaire (DTS) before and after the intervention. The experimental group received mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in 8 sessions, each lasting 90 minutes, while the control group was on the waiting list. Data were analyzed using analyses of covariance with SPSS-24 software. The result showed that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy had an effect on psychological symptoms such as emotion regulation and distress tolerance in the posttest period (p < 0.05). According to the result of the present study, we can use mindfulness-based cognitive therapy to promote emotion regulation and increase distress tolerance in firefighters.