Effectiveness Distinctions of Positive Psychotherapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Flourishing and Psychological Flexibility of Depressed Women

The tendency to flourish and psychological flexibility are very important variables for depressed women. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy and positive psychotherapy on tendency to flourish and psychological flexibility in depressed women.

The research method is quasi-experimental with three groups in three stages: pre-test, post-test and follow-up. The statistical population of the study included depressed women in Isfahan in autumn and winter of 2019 and 2020. From the statistical population, 60 women were selected through purposive sampling and then randomly assigned to two experimental groups (20 people in each group) and control group (20 people). Tendency to Flourish Questionnaire and Psychological Flexibility Questionnaire were used to measure the dependent variable. Acceptance and commitment treatment and positive psychotherapy group were treated in 12 and 13 sessions respectively, and the control group did not receive any treatment. Data were analyzed by repeated measures analysis of variance and Bonferroni post hoc test by SPSS version 26.

The results showed that in positive emotions, fascination, meaning, relationships, achievement and psychological flexibility, there was a significant difference between acceptance and commitment therapy and positivist psychotherapy with the control group (P<0.01). Also, they were more effectiveness in positive emotions and fascination for positive psychotherapy and more effectiveness in psychological flexibility for accepting and committing therapy (P<0.05).

Considering the difference in the effectiveness of positivist psychotherapy and acceptance and commitment therapy on increasing flourishing and psychological flexibility respectively, pay attention to this difference in the effectiveness of the two therapies on the variables related to their theoretical foundations, in psychological treatment centers for depressed women need to be considered.