Enhancing Ego Strength, Emotional Stability, and Communication Skills in Prisoners with Antisocial Personality Disorder: Evaluating the Impact of Cognitive-Analytic Therapy

نویسندگان

1 Department of Psychology and Education, Faculty of Humanities, Khatam University, Tehran, Iran

2 Department of Psychology and Education, Faculty of Humanities, Khatam University, Tehran, Iran

3 Department of Psychology and Education, Faculty of Humanities, Khatam University, Tehran, Iran

doi
10.30483/rjm.2026.254697.1463
چکیده

Background: Antisocial Personality Disorder is a chronic and prevalent condition among incarcerated populations and is associated with impaired ego functioning, emotional instability, and deficient interpersonal communication. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Cognitive-Analytic Therapy on ego strength, emotional stability, and communication skills in male prisoners diagnosed with ASPD. Methods: This study explored the effectiveness of Cognitive-Analytic Therapy on ego strength, emotional stability, and communication skills in male prisoners with Antisocial Personality Disorder. A pre-test and post-test quasi-experimental design was employed, with an intervention group (n = 18) and a control group (n = 18), selected from male prisoners in Tehran with a confirmed ASPD diagnosis in 2023. The subjects were selected using purposive sampling and assigned to the groups randomly. Data were collected using standardized psychometric measures, including the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory, the Psychosocial Inventory of Ego Strengths, the NEO Five-Factor Inventory – Short form, and the Communication Skills Test-Revised. The CAT intervention consisted of 10 sessions, held twice weekly for 2 hours each. Data were analyzed using SPSS, with descriptive statistics and covariance analysis. Results: revealed that there were considerable improvements in ego strength (F = 6.809, η = 0.180), communication skills (F = 31.221, η = 0.502), and emotional stability (F = 17.083, η = 0.355) in the intervention group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The findings suggest that Cognitive-Analytic Therapy can be an effective therapeutic approach for enhancing psychological functioning and interpersonal skills among individuals with ASPD.