Volume 8, Issue 1 (March 2026)
IEEPJ 2026, 8(1): 0-0 |
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Jahani T, Vatankhah H R. (2026). The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training on Working Memory and Executive Functions in Patients Diagnosed with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. IEEPJ. 8(1),
URL: http://ieepj.hormozgan.ac.ir/article-1-1140-en.html
URL: http://ieepj.hormozgan.ac.ir/article-1-1140-en.html
1- MA Student in General Psychology, Department of Psychology, West Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
2- Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, West Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran ,hamid_vatankha1@yahoo.com
2- Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, West Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran ,
Abstract: (166 Views)
Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effect of mindfulness training on improving working memory and executive functions in patients with Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
Methods: The study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pretest–posttest control group. The statistical population included all clients diagnosed with OCD who referred to the specialized “Mahya” clinic in Tehran during the winter of 2024–2025 (1403). Using multi-stage cluster sampling, 30 participants were selected and randomly assigned into two groups of 15. The experimental group received 10 sessions of mindfulness training (each session lasting 90 minutes), while the control group received no intervention. The instruments included the Yale–Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), the n-back test, and the Barkley Deficits in Executive Functioning Scale (BDEFS). Data were analyzed using multivariate and univariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA/ANCOVA) in SPSS-26.
Results: The results showed that mindfulness training had a significant effect on improving working memory and executive functions (η² = 0.423). ANCOVA results also indicated significant improvements in all components of working memory (correct responses, reaction time, and total score) and executive functions (time self-management, self-organization/problem-solving, self-restraint/inhibition, self-motivation, and emotional self-regulation). The effect size for the total executive functioning score was 0.76 and for working memory was 0.63 (p < 0.001).
Conclusions: Mindfulness training improves working memory and executive functions in patients with OCD and can be used as a complementary approach alongside conventional treatments to improve cognitive deficits in these patients.
Methods: The study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pretest–posttest control group. The statistical population included all clients diagnosed with OCD who referred to the specialized “Mahya” clinic in Tehran during the winter of 2024–2025 (1403). Using multi-stage cluster sampling, 30 participants were selected and randomly assigned into two groups of 15. The experimental group received 10 sessions of mindfulness training (each session lasting 90 minutes), while the control group received no intervention. The instruments included the Yale–Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), the n-back test, and the Barkley Deficits in Executive Functioning Scale (BDEFS). Data were analyzed using multivariate and univariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA/ANCOVA) in SPSS-26.
Results: The results showed that mindfulness training had a significant effect on improving working memory and executive functions (η² = 0.423). ANCOVA results also indicated significant improvements in all components of working memory (correct responses, reaction time, and total score) and executive functions (time self-management, self-organization/problem-solving, self-restraint/inhibition, self-motivation, and emotional self-regulation). The effect size for the total executive functioning score was 0.76 and for working memory was 0.63 (p < 0.001).
Conclusions: Mindfulness training improves working memory and executive functions in patients with OCD and can be used as a complementary approach alongside conventional treatments to improve cognitive deficits in these patients.
Type of Study: Original |
Subject:
Evolutionary Psychology
Received: 2025/04/15 | Accepted: 2025/09/26 | Published: 2026/03/1
Received: 2025/04/15 | Accepted: 2025/09/26 | Published: 2026/03/1
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