scholarly journals Efficacy of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in the Treatment of Social Phobia among Adolescents in Secondary Schools in Oyo State, Nigeria

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 54-61
Author(s):  
Segun Oyetunde Babalola ◽  
Ajibola Olusoga Ogunyemi

Social phobia is a mental health problem that has been repeatedly linked with adolescents. This study therefore investigated the efficacy of Acceptance and Commitment therapy (ACT) on social phobia among secondary school adolescents in Oyo State, Nigeria. The study adopted a pretest – posttest control group quasi experimental design. The sample comprised of 104 secondary school adolescents identified with some levels of social phobia from the two randomly selected schools among the three senatorial districts of Oyo State. The selected students, grouped by schools and subsequently, treatment groups, were 51 and 53 for the control and experimental groups, respectively. The experimentation spanned a period of eight weeks, with ACT administered to the experimental group and placebo of leadership styles administered to the control group. The Social Phobia Inventory (SPI) was adopted and used for screening and in pretest and posttest stages. A statistical hypothesis was formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance by means of the Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). It was found that treatment with ACT significantly reduced the level of social phobia among school-going adolescents. ACT was therefore recommended for use in relieving school-going adolescents suffering from social phobia.

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.


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 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 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-14
Author(s):  
Tantri Widyarti Utami ◽  
Yunani Sri Astuti

Hypertension is a major problem in public health both in developed and developing countries. Emotional reactions due to hypertension are grieving, fear/anxiety, anger, depression and guilt. Anxiety is an unpleasant emotional by fear and tense and unwanted physical symptoms. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) teaches clients to approach fear and anxiety more fundamentally, deeper, and in different ways Objective to knowing the effect of acceptance and commitment therapy on anxiety in hypertensive patients. Quasi-experimental design with a control group"with ACT interventions. The data obtained from  124 hypertensive patients who were divided into intervention and control groups. It analyzed by using Independent t-test and T-Paired tests. Research found there are differences in anxiety before and after intervention Acceptance and commitment therapy. Acceptance and commitment therapy can reduce the anxiety of hypertensive patients Keywords: acceptance and commitment therapy, anxiety, hypertension


Author(s):  
Parisa Amini ◽  
Reza Karami Nejad

 Introduction: Unsupervised Women always face very serious challenges in life. These problems can affect different aspects of their lives. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on self-compassion and marital boredom in Unsupervised Women. Methods: The research was quasi-experimental with pre-test, post-test with control group. The statistical population consisted of Unsupervised Women under the Cover of NGOs of Tehran and the sample consisted of 30 women (15 individual in control and 15 individual in Experiment group) according to education level and age. The participants randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The research instrument were Penance Marital Burning Scale and Raes, Pommier, Neff, & Van Gucht self—compassion scale. After the pre-test, the experimental group received 8 sessions of ACT, while the control group received no intervention. At the end of intervention post-test was performed. The results were analyzed by ANCOVA at the level of 0.05 using SPSS 20 software. Results: Based on the results of the research, A significant difference was found between the two groups regarding their Marital Burning (P < 0.001, F=401.28) and increased self-compassion intervention (P < 0.001, F=457.52) before and after intervention. The effect size was 0.9 for Marital Burning and 0.3 for self-compassion. Conclusion: According to the findings of the study, ACT can be used to decrease Marital Burning and increase self-compassion in unsupervised Women. ACT leads to psychological flexibility and commitment to perform actions that may lead to a fulfilling, rich and meaningful life, so it can be used as an effective intervention to decrease Marital Burning and increase self-compassion.


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.


2022 ◽  
Vol In Press (In Press) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zohreh Hashemi ◽  
Sanaz Einy ◽  
Matineh Ebadi

Background: The comorbidity of substance use, mood disorders, and anxiety has been proven in various studies, leading to many clinical implications. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) in depression and anxiety in individuals with substance use disorder. Methods: This quasi-experimental study utilized a pretest-posttest design with a control group. The statistical population consisted of all people with substance abuse in Urmia in 2019, including 220 subjects. The sample consisted of 50 individuals with substance use disorders selected by purposive sampling and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group was trained in eight sessions, each lasting 90 min, based on the ACT protocol by Hayes et al. (2004), while the control group did not receive any intervention. The data were obtained using the Beck Depression Inventory and Beck Anxiety Inventory. Pretest and posttest were performed in both groups. The collected data were analyzed by multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) using SPSS23 software. Results: The results showed that after controlling for the pretest effects, a significant difference was observed between the mean posttest scores of the two groups in both depression and anxiety (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Acceptance and commitment therapy is an appropriate strategy to effectively improve depression and anxiety in people with substance use disorder.


2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 421-427 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seyyed Mehdi Mirsharifa ◽  
Bahram Mirzaian ◽  
Yarali Dousti

BACKGROUND: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common functional gastrointestinal disorders, worldwide. Psychological disorders are common among patients with IBS. AIM: This study aims to investigate the efficacy of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) matrix on depression and psychological capital of patients with IBS. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In a quasi-experimental study, a total number of 30 patients with IBS were selected using convenience sampling. Those patients who meet the inclusion criteria were randomly assigned to control and experimental groups (15 patients in each group). Data were collected using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ). The experimental group was subjected to the acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) amtrix, but the control group do not receive this treatment. Questionnaires were completed before (pre-test) and after (post-test) the intervention by patients in two groups. All patients in two groups responded to the questionnaires and returned them to the researcher. Data were analyzed using chi-square test, independent t-test, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA). RESULTS: Analyzing the data showed that there were significant differences regarding depression and psychological capital between experimental and control group, before and after the study (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Using ACT matrix is a useful modality to improve the depression and psychological capital among patients with IBS.


2020 ◽  
pp. 105477382093559
Author(s):  
Erman Yıldız ◽  
Rukuye Aylaz

This study aimed to determine how counseling based on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and supported with motivational interviewing (MIs) affected functional recovery in individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia (IDSs). A quasi-experimental design was used. The participants of this study were 87 individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia (36 in the experimental group and 51 in the control group). The experimental group received counseling based on ACT and supported with MIs. The data were collected between September 2018 and May 2019 using a Descriptive Information Form and the Functional Remission of General Schizophrenia Scale (FROGS). The participants in the experimental group were given a group counseling program of eight sessions at community mental health centers in downtown Malatya, Turkey. The results revealed a statistically significant difference in the mean scores on FROGS between those in the IDS experimental group and those in the control group. The scores increased on both groups.


2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 39-51
Author(s):  
Sheida Jabalameli ◽  
Leila Ghasemi

Introduction: The effects of breast cancer and mastectomy on sexuality, an important aspect of personality, emphasize the need for psychological treatments. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on sexual desire in breast cancer patients after mastectomy. Methods: This was a semiexperimental study with an experimental and a control group with a pretest-posttest design. The statistical population included all women with breast cancer in the Isfahan province who had come to Alla charity center in 2017. A sample of 26 women with breast cancer was selected through available sampling and assigned randomly to two groups of 13 subjects each. The experimental group received ACT over 8 sessions and the control group remained on the waiting list until the end of the study. The measurement tool was the Hurlbert Index of Sexual Desire administered before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed with SPSS 16 using an analysis of covariance test. Results: There was a significant difference in the mean scores on sexual desire between the two groups (F = 7.99, p = 0.014). The mean score on sexual desire improved from 0.85 to 1.23 in the treatment group, but there was no change in the control group (1.17 in the pretest vs 1.16 in the posttest). In general, ACT was effective in improving sexual desire in patients (p < 0.05, effect size: 0.48). Conclusion: In general, according to the findings of this research, ACT seems to be effective in improving psychological problems in women with breast cancer.


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