مطالب

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on reducing depression and cognitive biases in married women. Methods and Materials: A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 30 married women in Tehran who exhibited elevated depressive symptoms and cognitive biases. Participants were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 15) receiving eight weekly 75-minute ACT sessions or a control group (n = 15) receiving no psychological intervention. Depression and cognitive biases were assessed at pretest, posttest, and five-month follow-up using the Beck Depression Inventory-II and the Cognitive Bias Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA with Bonferroni post-hoc tests in SPSS-27. Findings: Repeated measures ANOVA indicated significant time × group interactions for depression (F(2, 54) = 45.22, p < .001, η² = .63) and cognitive biases (F(2, 54) = 39.52, p < .001, η² = .60). Bonferroni tests showed significant reductions in depression and cognitive bias scores from pretest to posttest (p < .001) and pretest to follow-up (p < .001) in the experimental group. No significant differences were found between posttest and follow-up scores (p > .05), indicating stability of treatment effects. Conclusion: Findings suggest that Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is effective in reducing depressive symptoms and cognitive biases in married women and that these benefits persist over a five-month follow-up. ACT may offer a promising therapeutic option for addressing both emotional and cognitive vulnerabilities in this population by promoting psychological flexibility and values-based action.

Objective: Dealing with stress is one of the transformative changes that divorce introduces in personal and family lives, leading to the disruption of mental health, cognitive conflicts, and identity crises among women. Thus, the current study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a strength-based approach on distress tolerance and frustration tolerance in divorced women. Methods: The research was applied in nature and semi-experimental in design, featuring a pre-test and post-test with one experimental group and one control group, along with a two-month follow-up. Consequently, the study population consisted of all divorced women who visited counseling centers in District 6 of Tehran in 2022. From this population, 40 women were selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned to an experimental group (20 participants) and a control group (20 participants). The experimental group underwent a strength-based approach program based on a protocol developed by Darbani and Parsakia (2022). Data collection tools included the Harrington Frustration Tolerance Questionnaire (2005) and the Simons and Gahr Distress Tolerance Questionnaire (2005). Descriptive statistics utilized frequency distribution tables, and inferential analysis was conducted using mixed ANOVA with repeated measures and Bonferroni post-hoc tests, employing SPSS software version 26. Findings: Considering the F-values and significance levels in the mixed ANOVA for frustration tolerance (F = 10.49, p = 0.002) and distress tolerance (F = 8.81, p = 0.003), it can be concluded that the intervention employed in this study, namely the strength-based approach as an independent variable, significantly altered the dependent variables (frustration tolerance and distress tolerance). Conclusion: Based on the findings, it can be concluded that the strength-based approach is effective in improving distress tolerance and frustration tolerance among divorced women. Therefore, techniques from this approach can be utilized in post-divorce counseling for divorced women.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on the psychological well-being of couples referring to the Dispute Resolution Council in Omidiyeh County. Methods: This study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test, post-test, and control group, along with a 45-day follow-up period. The statistical population consisted of couples who referred to the Dispute Resolution Council in Omidiyeh County in 2021. In the initial phase, a purposive sampling method was used to select 30 participants. These individuals were chosen from among those who had been engaged or married for four or five years, expressed a desire for separation, and had sought assistance from the Dispute Resolution Council. They were randomly assigned to either the experimental group or the control group. The experimental group underwent eight sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, while the control group received no intervention and remained on a waiting list. Findings: The mean age in the ACT group was 33.31 ± 5 years, in the solution-focused approach group was 32.50 ± 3.72 years, and in the control group was 33.68 ± 5.04 years. The results of the mixed-design analysis of variance indicated that the intervention had a statistically significant effect on the dimensions of psychological well-being in the post-test and follow-up stages compared to the control group (p < .05). Furthermore, the results of the Bonferroni post hoc test demonstrated that Acceptance and Commitment Therapy was more effective in improving conflict resolution styles (p < .05). Conclusion: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy can be considered an effective approach for reducing problems arising from marital conflicts among individuals referring to the Dispute Resolution Council.