The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy Integrated with Mind-Body Interventions (Tai Chi Exercises) on Aggression and Sensitivity in Interpersonal Relationships of Juvenile Offenders in Correctional and Rehabilitation Centers

Abstract

The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy based on mind-body interventions (Tai Chi exercises) on aggression and sensitivity in interpersonal relationships of clients of a correctional center. The present research method was a semi-experimental design with a pre-test-post-test design and a control group. The statistical population of the study consisted of all clients of the Bushehr provincial correctional center between February 2013 and June 2014. 22 people were selected by convenience sampling and were randomly assigned to two experimental (11 people) and control (11 people) groups. The Symptom CheckList-90-Revised (SCL-90-R; Daraghtvis, 1992) was used to collect data. The experimental group received mindfulness-based cognitive therapy based on mind-body interventions (Tai Chi exercises) as a group once a week for 12 60-minute sessions, and the control group did not receive any intervention. Data analysis was performed using a multivariate analysis of covariance statistical test. The results showed that, after controlling for the pre-test effect, there was a significant difference at the 0.05 level between the mean post-test scores of aggression and sensitivity in interpersonal relationships in the experimental and control groups. Overall, it can be concluded that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy based on mind-body interventions (Tai Chi exercises) had an effective role on aggression and sensitivity in interpersonal relationships in the clients of the correctional center.