Comparison of the Effectiveness of Existential Therapy and Schema Therapy in Reducing Death Anxiety among Women with Multiple Sclerosis

Liah  Aqa Ali Akbari; Mahdieh Rahmanian; Amin Rafieipour

Authors

Liah Aqa Ali Akbari Department of Clinical Psychology, KI.C., Islamic Azad University, Kish, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3950-7402
Mahdieh Rahmanian Professor, Department of Psychology, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran Corresponding Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6745-1426
Amin Rafieipour Associate Professor of Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4645-422X

Keywords:

Existential Therapy; Schema Therapy; Death Anxiety; Multiple Sclerosis; Women

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of existential therapy and schema therapy in reducing death anxiety among married women with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Methods and Materials: This quasi-experimental study employed a pretest–posttest design with a control group. The statistical population comprised all married women diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in Tehran during the first six months of 2026 whose diagnosis had been confirmed by a specialist physician and who were receiving support from the Tehran Multiple Sclerosis Society. Using purposive sampling, 45 eligible women were selected and assigned to three groups of 15 participants: existential therapy, schema therapy, and control. Participants in the two intervention groups received the corresponding therapeutic programs, whereas the control group received no psychological intervention during the study period. Death anxiety was assessed at the pretest and posttest stages using the Templer Death Anxiety Scale. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance to examine changes in death anxiety across measurement occasions and differences among the three study groups.

Findings: Repeated-measures analysis of variance demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in death anxiety following psychological intervention. Both existential therapy and schema therapy produced significant improvements in death anxiety compared with the control condition, indicating that each intervention was effective in reducing death-related anxiety among women with multiple sclerosis. The between-group comparison of the two active interventions further revealed a significant difference in their therapeutic effectiveness. Existential therapy produced a greater reduction in death anxiety than schema therapy, demonstrating its comparatively stronger effect on death-related psychological distress in the study population.

Conclusion: Both existential therapy and schema therapy appear to be effective psychological interventions for reducing death anxiety among married women with multiple sclerosis; however, existential therapy may provide greater therapeutic benefits.

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References

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