Iranian Association for Intelligence and Talent Studies International Journal of Education and Cognitive Sciences 3041-8828 7 July 2026 2026 07 01 The Effectiveness of Spiritually Oriented Existential Therapy on Illness Perception and Personal Sense of Security in Women with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Definitive Singlehood The Effectiveness of Spiritually Oriented Existential Therapy on Illness Perception and Personal Sense of Security in Women with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Definitive Singlehood 1 10 EN Journal Article 2026 01 13 <p><strong>Purpose: </strong>The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of spiritually oriented existential therapy on illness perception and personal sense of security in women with PTSD and definitive singlehood.</p> <p><strong>Methods and Materials: </strong>The present study employed a semi-experimental pretest–posttest design with a control group. The statistical population consisted of women with PTSD and definitive singlehood who referred to the Amin Counseling and Psychological Center in Tehran during 2025. A total of 24 participants were selected using purposive sampling and randomly assigned to an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group participated in ten 90-minute sessions of spiritually oriented existential therapy, while the control group received no intervention. Following participant attrition, 10 participants remained in each group. Data were collected using the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire and the Personal Sense of Security Questionnaire. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics, multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA), and univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA).</p> <p><strong>Findings: </strong>The findings demonstrated that spiritually oriented existential therapy had a statistically significant effect on illness perception and personal sense of security among women with PTSD and definitive singlehood. The results of covariance analysis indicated a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in illness perception scores (F = 12.306, P = 0.001, η² = 0.724). Additionally, a significant difference was observed between the groups in personal sense of security scores (F = 10.808, P = 0.001, η² = 0.569). The results of the Tukey post-hoc test further confirmed that the experimental group showed significantly improved illness perception and higher personal sense of security compared to the control group (P &lt; 0.01).</p> <p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The findings suggest that spiritually oriented existential therapy is an effective intervention for improving illness perception and enhancing personal sense of security in women with PTSD and definitive singlehood.</p> https://journalecs.com/index.php/ecs/article/download/369/345