Objective: Distress tolerance refers to an individual’s ability to endure and cope with psychologically distressing states, which may result from cognitive and physiological processes, and manifest emotionally and frequently prompting behaviors aimed at alleviating negative emotional experiences. The present study develops and validates a distress tolerance model grounded in Islamic teachings.
Method: This study employs an exploratory mixed-method approach. The qualitative phase uses content analysis to identify components of distress tolerance drawn from Islamic sources, including the Holy Qur’an and reliable hadith collections. Selected themes were coded and analyzed, with inter-coder reliability confirmed via the Kappa coefficient (κ = 0.773) in SPSS v23, and content validity confirmed by five faculty members of the University of Isfahan. The quantitative phase involves validating the proposed model using correlation-based structural equation modeling (SEM). The sample consisted of 366 female students from the University of Isfahan, selected via convenience sampling. Data collection was conducted using a researcher-designed questionnaire, whose validity was approved by subject matter experts and whose reliability was established using Cronbach’s alpha (α = 0.78).
Results: The model of distress tolerance based on Islamic teachings comprises five main components and fifteen subcomponents: (1) Soothing and Reframing (trust in Allah, belief in divine trials, and hopefulness toward life; (2) Mindfulness (forgiveness, avoidance of neglect and forgetfulness, vigilance); (3) Self-Management (patience, skills in forgiveness, perseverance); (4) Emotion Management (submission to Allah’s will, anger suppression, repentance); (5) Engagement in Activities (travel, family bonding (ṣilat al-raḥim), physical exercise)
Conclusion: Utilizing the teachings of the Qur’an can serve as an effective alternative to distress-inducing thought patterns in individuals. A therapeutic approach centered on interpreting the verses of the Qur’an and guided by its teachings offers an innovative contribution to the fields of Qur’an exegesis, clinical psychology, and counseling