Yousef Dehghani

AbstractThe present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of positive thinking training on resilience, empathy, and psychological distress in mothers of children with specific learning disorders.This study employed a quasi-experimental design withpre-test, post-test, follow-up, and control group. The statistical population consisted of 342 mothers in Bushehr, from whom 46 participants were selected via convenience sampling and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (n=23 each). Instruments included the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale, Davis Empathy Questionnaire, and Kessler Psychological Distress Scale. The intervention consisted of 10 sessions of 90-minute positive thinking training for the experimental group. Data were analyzed using ANCOVA, repeated measures ANOVA, and Bonferroni post hoc tests in SPSS version 26.Results indicated a significant effect of the intervention on increasing resilience (η²=0.54, P<0.01), increasing empathy (η²=0.62, P<0.01), and reducing psychological distress (η²=0.74, P<0.01). Repeated measures ANOVA revealed significant effects of time, group, and time×group interaction across all variables. Bonferroni tests confirmed that the intervention effects were maintained at follow-up.Positive thinking training is an effective psychological intervention for improving resilience and empathy while reducing psychological distress among mothers of children with specific learning disorders, with sustained long-term effects.Keywords:Positive thinking training, Resilience, Empathy, Psychological distress, Specific learning disorder