The effecacy of emotional schema therapy on severity of clinical symptoms and emotional schemas in the patients with functional neurological symptom disorder

Background: growing studies indicates the role of emotional regulation on functional- physical disorders then addressing therapeutic intervention focused on this structure has great importance on the severity of clinical symptoms and negative emotional schemes of the patients. Aims: The current study aims to determine the efficacy of treatment based on Emotional Schema Therapy of patients with functional neurological symptom disorder. Methods: A non-congruent multiple baseline experimental single case studies was used as the method of this study. For this purpose, three women with functional neurological symptom disorder referred to the neurologist were selected through structured diagnostic interview and clinical interviews using purposive sampling. Structured clinical interview (SCID-5-RV), demographic characteristics interview, symptoms of somatic symptom disorders’ screening scale (SOMS-7), Leahy Emotional Schema Scale (LESS) and EST treatment guide were used as research tools. Results: Obtained results were addressed suing, visual inspection, Reliable & change index (RCI), improvement percentage formula, significant clinical improvement and operational assessment. Conclusion: Results obtained from the study indicated that emotional schema therapy with amending emotional structural processes and improvement of non-adaptive strategies of people against emotions leads to decrease in the severity of clinical symptoms and negative emotional schemes in patients with functional neurological symptom disorder.