The Effectiveness of Short-Term Psychodynamic Psychotherapy on Anxiety and Intolerance of Uncertainty in Women with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Authors
feresheh reza
javanshir asadi
arastoo mirani
afsaneh Khajevand Khoshli
Abstract
The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy in reducing anxiety and enhancing tolerance of uncertainty in women with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). This research employed a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design with a control group. The statistical population included all women diagnosed with OCD who referred to the Sarvahana Counseling Center in Tehran in 2025. A purposive sample of 30 participants was selected and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (15 participants in each). The experimental group received ten sessions of short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy, while the control group received no intervention. Data were collected using the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Maudsley Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory (MOCI), and the Freeston Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale. The results of covariance analysis indicated that short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy significantly reduced both state and trait anxiety and increased tolerance of uncertainty in the experimental group compared to the control group (p < 0.01). These findings support the effectiveness of short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy in improving emotional and cognitive components associated with OCD in women, and highlight its clinical utility in enhancing emotion regulation, uncertainty acceptance, and reducing rumination in this population.
Keywords
short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
anxiety
intolerance of uncertainty
cognitive-emotional components
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