scholarly journals The Effect of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Hypochondria and Cognitive Emotion Regulation among Divorced Women

Author(s):  
Hamideh Iri ◽  
Behnam Makvandi ◽  
Saeed Bakhtiarpour ◽  
Fariba Hafezi

Introduction: Hypochondriasis is a psychological disorder that affects divorced women's quality of life and mental health. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on hypochondria and cognitive emotion regulation among divorced Women in Tehran. Methods: The method was experimental with a pre-test, post-test design, and a control group. In the present study, the research population includes divorced women who have been affected by divorce-related psychological problems and were referred to Tehran consultation centers in 2018. In this study, The sample consisted of 30 divorced women selected by purposive sampling and randomly divided into experimental and control groups (n= 15 each). The research tools included the Health Anxiety Inventory (HAI) and the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ). The ACT intervention was performed on the experimental group for ten 90-minute sessions. Pearson's correlation coefficient, Levene's test, Shapiro-Wilk test, and multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) were used to analyze the data. The significance level of the study was considered to be α=0.05. Results: The mean and standard deviation (SD) of hypochondria post-test scores in the experimental and control groups were 35.13±1.92 and 37.33±3.07, respectively. The results indicated that ACT decreased hypochondria in the women (P=0.04). Also, the intervention effectively increased positive emotion regulation in the women (P=0.01). Conclusion: In addition to decreasing anxiety and increasing emotion regulation ability under difficult situations, ACT can increase social and psychological adaptability. Also, ACT can effectively decrease interactive and stress and anxiety in divorced women.

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamideh Iri ◽  
Behnam Makvandi ◽  
Saeed Bakhtiarpour ◽  
Fariba Hafezi

Background: Divorce is one of the most stressful life events leading to increased susceptibility to diseases and mood disorders such as hypochondriasis. Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on hypochondriasis and psychosocial adjustment in divorced women in Tehran. Methods: The research method was quasi-experimental with a pretest-posttest design and a control group. The statistical population in this study consisted of divorced women suffering from divorce-induced psychological distress who visited counseling centers in Tehran in 2018. The sample consisted of 30 divorced women selected by convenience sampling method. The participants were randomly divided into experimental and control groups (n = 15 per group), and the pretest was performed for the experimental and control groups before the intervention program. The experimental group underwent ten sessions of ACT (90-minute sessions per week), and the control group did not receive any treatment. The research instruments included the Health Anxiety Inventory (HAI) and the Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale (PAIS). The Shapiro-Wilk test, Levene test, Pearson correlation coefficient, and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) were used to analyze the data. Results: The results indicated that the ACT-based intervention significantly reduced hypochondriasis in divorced women (P = 0.043). In addition, ACT improved the psychosocial adjustment in these women (P = 0.0001). Conclusions: This intervention decreased anxiety under difficult conditions and also improved psychosocial adjustment in divorced women. Therefore, ACT can be used as an effective approach in reducing social and interactional problems and also anxiety in divorced women.


2020 ◽  
pp. 225-230

Introduction: Health anxiety is a broad cognitive disorder that is formed as a misconception about the symptoms and physical changes resulting from a personchr('39')s beliefs about illness or health. Objectives: This study aimed to compare the efficacy of schema therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) in cognitive emotion regulation components in patients with an anxiety disorder. Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental study was carried out with a three-group pretest-posttest design. The study population included individuals referring to Bavar and Bamdad counseling centers located in Sari, Iran, in 2019. A sample size of 45 participants was selected using nonrandom sampling (i.e., targeted and voluntary sampling). The measurement tool used was Emotional Cognitive Regulation Questionnaire (Garnefsky and Craig; 2006). Multivariate analysis of covariance and univariate analysis of covariance was used to analyze the data by SPSS software (version 22). Results: The obtained results of the present study showed that schema therapy and ACT were effective in cognitive emotion regulation in patients with an anxiety disorder (P<0.001). The ACT was more effective than schema therapy in the reduction of blaming others (P<0.0001) and focus on catastrophe (P<0.010) and increase of positive refocus (P<0.012). There was no significant difference in other emotional regulation components between the groups (P>0.05). Conclusions: Considering the role of beliefs and thoughts in the anxiety disorder, it is suggested that therapists consider schema therapy and ACT in psychological interventions, including cognitive emotion regulation, for this group of patients.


2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 410-415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mostafa Heydari ◽  
Saideh Masafi ◽  
Mehdi Jafari ◽  
Seyed Hassan Saadat ◽  
Shima Shahyad

AIM: Considering the key role of human resources as the main operator of organisations, the present research aimed to determine the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy for anxiety and depression of Razi Psychiatric Center staff.MATERIALS AND METHODS: This research follows a quasi-experimental type with pre-test, post-test plans, and control group. Accordingly, 30 people were selected through volunteered sampling among Razi Psychiatric Center staff. Then, they were randomly placed into two groups of 15 (experimental and control) and evaluated using research tools. Research tools consisted of Beck Anxiety and Depression Inventories whose reliability and validity have been confirmed in several studies. Research data were analysed using the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA).Results: The statistical analysis confirmed the difference in the components of anxiety and depression in the experimental group, which had received acceptance and commitment therapy compared to the group that had not received any therapy in this regard (control group) (p < 0.05).CONCLUSION: Acceptance and commitment therapy reduces anxiety and depression.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 121-132
Author(s):  
Shahrbanoo Ghahari ◽  
◽  
Leili Jamil ◽  
Nazanin Farrokhi ◽  
Reza Davoodi ◽  
...  

Objective: Marital conflict can be described as the state of tension or stress between couples. Accordingly, couples who are unable to regulate their negative emotions experience fragile relationships. This study aimed to compare the effects of Emotion-Focused Couple Therapy (EFCT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on Cognitive Emotion Regulation (CER) strategies and marital conflict. Methods: The study sample included 28 married women who were randomly assigned to the EFCT and ACT groups. The questionnaire battery included the Questionnaire of Marital Conflicts, the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, and the Second Edition of the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) (SCID-II). Results: The result of the Independent Samples t-test indicated no difference in pretest scores of the study participants. However, significant differences were determined between the study groups in the posttest phase (P<0.001). Additionally, the Paired Samples t-test results revealed significant differences between pretest and posttest scores between the EFCT (P<0.001) and ACT (P<0.028 for marital conflict, P<0.001 for adaptive CER strategies, & P<0.031 for non-adaptive CER strategies) groups. Moreover, EFCT was clinically more effective than ACT. Accordingly, the effect size of EFCT and ACT for marital conflict was measured as 2.33 and 0.83; respecting adaptive and non-adaptive CER strategies, these values were computed as 2.89 and 2.02 as well as 2.89 and 0.88, respectively. Conclusion: Overall, EFCT and ACTT were effective in improving marital conflict and CER strategies. Besides, EFCT was clinically more effective than ACT in this regard.


2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 445-454
Author(s):  
Jalal Younesi ◽  
◽  
Javad Kazemi ◽  
Asghar Dadkhah ◽  
Akbar Biglarian ◽  
...  

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the effects of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on the Sense of Coherence (SOC), Locus of Control (LoC), and Posttraumatic Growth (PTG) in patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). These factors were explored according to the prevalence of psychological problems in these patients. Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test, post-test and a control group design. The study population included all patients with MS from Iran’s MS Association in Tehran City, Iran. The study sample included 30 patients (n=15/group) who were selected by purposive sampling technique and according to the study inclusion and exclusion criteria. The study participants were randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups. After obtaining necessary permissions and informed consent, a pre-test was initially performed. The instruments used in this study were ‎the 29-item Antonovsky’s Sense of Coherence Scale; the 29-item Julian Rotter’s Locus of Control Scale, and the 21-item Tedeschi and Calhoun’s Posttraumatic Growth scale. Several studies supported the reliability and validity of these scales. The experimental group received 8 sessions (once a week, each session: 1.5 h) of group Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). However, the control group received no intervention. After the intervention, according to the instructions, the post-test was performed. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS V. 21. Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) was performed to examine between-group differences data. Results: The study findings indicated that ACT was effective on the SoC; however, it had no significant effect on the LoC and PTG (P=0.05). Discussion: Participation in ACT sessions could enhance the SoC of patients with MS. Accordingly, it can be improved by accepting and enhancing these patients’ commitment to change through psychotherapy approach and increasing their SoC.


2021 ◽  
Vol In Press (In Press) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sahar Amiri ◽  
Parvin Ehteshamzadeh ◽  
Fariba Hafezi ◽  
Mohammad Reza Borna

Background: Cognitive-attentional syndrome (CAS) is one of the primary constructs of depression, the treatment of which is highly challenging because of its high prevalence and the emergence of symptoms such as feelings of sadness, emptiness, and hopelessness. Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of behavioral activation (BA) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) in CAS in patients with depression. Methods: This quasi-experimental research utilized a pretest, posttest, and two-month follow-up design with a control group. The study population comprised 260 patients with a diagnosis of depression who referred to the psychological centers of Ahvaz in 2019. The sample consisted of 45 patients with depression selected by convenience sampling. We randomly divided the participants into two experimental groups (BA and ACT) and a control group (n = 15 per group). The research instrument included the cognitive-attentional syndrome (CAS-1) questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 24.0 with descriptive and inferential statistics, such as mean, standard deviation, and multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA). Results: In terms of CAS and its components, there was a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in the posttest and follow-up phases (P = 0.0001). Besides, ACT and BA significantly reduced CAS and its components in the posttest phase (P = 0.0001). However, the effectiveness of BA in decreasing CAS and its components remained during the follow-up phase. Furthermore, the results showed that ACT was more effective in reducing attention to threat and metacognitive beliefs during the posttest phase. Conclusions: According to research findings, both BA and ACT are efficient therapies in reducing CAS in patients with depression. Thus, both approaches can be used to strengthen treatment interventions to reduce CAS in patients with depression.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3A) ◽  
pp. 707-718
Author(s):  
Mohammad Hatami ◽  
Maryam Kalhor Nia Golkar ◽  
Simin Farshadi

This study aimed to compare the effect of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), and acceptance and commitment therapy (AT) on resilience, happiness, and hope of veterans with psychopathy. The present study was applied in terms of purpose, a pre-test, post-test, and follow-up research in terms of method, and a quasi-experimental design in terms of nature.  The results showed a difference between the mean scores of resilience, happiness, and hope in the three acceptance and commitment therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and control groups within pre-test, post-test, and follow-up steps. There was a difference between the effects of ACT and CBT on resilience, happiness, and hope of veterans with psychopathy living in Dezful. Moreover, ACT performed better rather than CBT in terms of resilience, happiness, and hope rate among veterans with psychopathy living in Dezful, Iran.


Background & Aim: In recent years, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) has been used a lot with emphasis on acceptance of life problems and psychological flexebility. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on body image of women with breast cancer after mastectomy surgery. Methods: The research method was semi-experimental with experimental and control group with pre-test and post-test. A sapmle of 26 female with breast cancer were selected through targeted sampling from Alla charity center in Isfahan in year 2017 and assigned to two groups with 13 subjects. The experimental group received ACT in 8 sessions. The measurement tool was multidimensional questionnaire on personal body image (MBSRQ) that was used in both the experimental and control groups in pre-test and post-test. The findings were analyzed using SPSS. Results: The results of covariance analysis showed that there was a significant difference between the mean scores of body image and its dimensions in experimental and control group and ACT was effective on improvement of body image in patients of experimental group (p<0.05). Conclusion: in general, the ACT seems to be effective on improvement of psychological problems in women with breast canscer.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document