Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

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: The present study aimed to design an educational package based on Motivational Interviewing, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Compassion-Focused Therapy and evaluate its effectiveness on alexithymia and quality of life in patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in Tehran. Method: This study employed a quasi-experimental design with a control group and pre-test, post-test, and follow-up assessments. Forty women with MS, who visited the MS Association in Tehran Province from October to February 2021, were selected based on research criteria through purposive sampling and were randomly assigned to two groups (using a random number table). After random assignment, one of the groups was randomly designated as the experimental group, receiving the researcher-developed integrative treatment package, and the other as the control group (n=20). The data collection tools included a demographic information questionnaire, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (Bagby, Taylor, & Parker, 1994), and the Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life-54 Instrument (Ware et al., 1988). Data were collected at three stages: baseline, post-intervention, and three-month follow-up. The research hypotheses were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni post hoc tests. Findings: The results of this study indicated that the educational package based on Motivational Interviewing, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Compassion-Focused Therapy significantly improved alexithymia (F=24.31, P<0.001) and quality of life (F=22.67, P<0.001) in women with MS. Conclusion: It can be concluded that the educational package based on Motivational Interviewing, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Compassion-Focused Therapy is effective in improving alexithymia and quality of life in women with MS.

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.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in reducing negative affect, improving emotional processing, and enhancing psychological hardiness in women experiencing domestic violence. Methods and Materials: A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 30 participants, divided equally into intervention and control groups. The intervention group underwent eight 90-minute ACT sessions over eight weeks, while the control group received no treatment. Outcomes were assessed at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and five-month follow-up stages using validated tools for Negative Affect, Emotional Processing, and Psychological Hardiness. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA and Bonferroni post-hoc tests, with SPSS-27. Findings: Significant improvements were observed in the intervention group across all variables. For Negative Affect, mean scores decreased from 3.52 (SD = 0.45) at pre-intervention to 2.89 (SD = 0.39) post-intervention and 2.45 (SD = 0.33) at follow-up (F(1,28) = 30.19, p = 0.001, η² = 0.52). Emotional Processing scores increased from 3.20 (SD = 0.40) to 3.80 (SD = 0.37) post-intervention and 4.25 (SD = 0.31) at follow-up (F(1,28) = 34.38, p = 0.001, η² = 0.55). Psychological Hardiness improved from 3.15 (SD = 0.38) to 3.95 (SD = 0.35) post-intervention and 4.10 (SD = 0.32) at follow-up (F(1,28) = 36.57, p = 0.001, η² = 0.58). The control group showed minimal changes across all measures. Conclusion: ACT was highly effective in reducing negative affect, improving emotional processing, and enhancing psychological hardiness in women experiencing domestic violence. The results suggest that ACT is a valuable therapeutic approach for this population, with sustained benefits over time.

Objective: The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT) on marital quality of life and sexual communication intelligence in couples experiencing marital conflicts. Methods: This study was applied in terms of its objective and employed a quasi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest structure, a two-month follow-up, and a control group for data collection. The statistical population consisted of all couples aged 25 to 40 who had marital conflicts and visited counseling and psychology clinics in District 13 of Tehran in 2023. From this population, 45 couples were selected using purposive sampling. The research instruments included the Sexual Communication Intelligence Questionnaire (Dehkordi et al., 2021) and the Marital Quality of Life Questionnaire (Babci et al., 1995), which were completed by the couples. One group underwent Solution-Focused Therapy in eight 90-minute sessions, while the other group received Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in ten 90-minute sessions. Data analysis was conducted using repeated measures ANOVA in SPSS software. Findings: The results indicated that Acceptance and Commitment Therapy had a positive effect on marital quality of life and sexual communication intelligence. Additionally, Solution-Focused Therapy was also effective in improving these two components (p < .05). Conclusion: The findings of this study demonstrate the effectiveness of both therapeutic approaches—Solution-Focused Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy—on marital quality of life and sexual communication intelligence. A comparison of the two methods revealed that Acceptance and Commitment Therapy was more effective than Solution-Focused Therapy.

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on the self-efficacy of adolescents with a history of domestic violence. Methods: The research method was a semi-experimental design with a pre-test–post-test structure and a non-equivalent control group. The study population consisted of 69 adolescent girls, aged 14 to 18 years, who had experienced domestic violence and had a case file at the Social Emergency Center of Babol city during the second half of 2023. A total of 45 participants were selected through convenience sampling based on inclusion criteria and were randomly assigned to two experimental groups of 15 participants each and one control group of 15 participants. Data were collected using the Morris Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (2001). A summary of TF-CBT sessions, adapted from Cohen (2001), consisting of 10 sessions of 90 minutes each, and a summary of ACT sessions, adapted from Hayes et al. (2004), consisting of 8 sessions of 90 minutes each, were administered to the experimental groups. No intervention was applied to the control group. Data analysis was performed using repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) with SPSS 18 software. Findings: The findings indicated that both TF-CBT and ACT had an effect on the self-efficacy of adolescents with a history of domestic violence. However, TF-CBT was more effective than ACT in enhancing self-efficacy. Conclusion: The results of this study could provide practical implications for therapists and counselors.

Objective: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of resilience training and acceptance and commitment group training on improving quality of life in male students from divorced families, while controlling for age at the time of parental divorce and the duration since the divorce. Methods and Materials: This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 90 male students in grades 5 to 9 from Kouhchenar County, whose parents were divorced. Participants were selected using convenience sampling from six schools with the highest prevalence of students from divorced families and were randomly assigned to three groups: resilience training (n = 30), acceptance and commitment training (n = 30), and control (n = 30). The interventions included ten 50-minute weekly sessions based on Kruger’s (2006) resilience protocol and eight weekly sessions based on Hayes and Rose’s (2008) ACT protocol. All participants completed the WHOQOL-BREF before the intervention, immediately after, and at a one-month follow-up. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA and MANCOVA while adjusting for confounding variables. Findings: Significant improvements were observed in all four domains of quality of life—physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and environmental health—in both intervention groups across time (p < 0.001). The time × group interaction effect was also significant for all components (p < 0.001). Between-subjects analysis showed significant differences in posttest mean scores among the three groups (p < 0.001), and Bonferroni post hoc comparisons confirmed that both experimental groups outperformed the control group (p < 0.001), with the ACT group showing significantly greater improvements than the resilience group in all domains (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Both resilience training and ACT-based group training effectively enhanced the quality of life of students from divorced families; however, ACT demonstrated superior and more sustained improvements. These findings highlight the potential of ACT as a preferred school-based intervention for adolescents coping with familial disruption.