acceptance

Addiction is a chronic disease leaving deep social, psychological, physical, and economic effects on the individual. This study aimed to assess the effects of acceptance and commitment therapy on suicidal thoughts, sensation seeking, and distress tolerance in substance users.

This was a quasi-experimental controlled trial with a pretest/posttest design. The study population consisted of all substance-dependent individuals who were referred to the addiction treatment center of the psychiatric department of Mustafa Khomeini Hospital in Ilam in 2022. Using the convenience sampling method, 32 individuals were selected as the sample population and were randomly assigned to two groups of 16 individuals. In this study, the Sensation Seeking Scale (SSS), Beck Suicidal Ideation Scale (BSSI), and Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS) were used to collect data. The data analysis method was descriptive and inferential statistics. Data were analyzed using Chi Square, Pillay effect, Wilks’ lambda, Hoteling effect, Root Largest Rey, and multivariate covariance (MANCOVA) tests in SPSS v.16, with a significance level of 0.001.

Acceptance and commitment therapy was effective on the studied variables. The findings of this study showed that acceptance and commitment therapy reduced suicidal thoughts (P < 0.001), reduced sensation seeking (P < 0.001), and increased distress tolerance (P<0.001).

Acceptance and commitment therapy has positive effects on suicidal thoughts, sensation seeking, and distress tolerance in male substance users, reducing suicidal thoughts and sensation seeking and augmenting distress tolerance in them.

Half of individuals living with HIV experience a decline in their quality of life due to sexual issues. This study aimed to determine the effect of group counseling based on ACT on sexual satisfaction among women with HIV or women with HIV-positive partners.

This parallel-randomized controlled clinical trial was carried out on 32 women with HIV or women with HIV-positive attended the Behavioral Disease Counseling Center in Yazd and Meybod, Iran. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups. One group comprised 16 participants who attended ten weekly 2-hours sessions, while the other group underwent routine counseling at the center. The study used Demographic information and sexual satisfaction questionnaires, which completed 2018   September. Data analyzed using Chi-square, independent t-test, and repeated measures ANOVA with SPSS software Version 16. 

The demographic variables between the two groups did not show any significant difference. The intervention group demonstrated significant differences in average sexual satisfaction scores before, after, and one month after the intervention (90.87±13.3, 96.31±12.94, and 97.81±12.52), respectively. However, the control group did not exhibit significant differences in sexual satisfaction scores (83.93±18.07, 84.87±17.49, and 85.06±16.70).

The study reveals that ACT can increase sexual satisfaction among women with HIV or women with HIV-positive partners.  By empowering affected women exposed to HIV through the use of ACT, patients’ sexual satisfaction can be significantly improved.

Obesity is a complex multifactorial disease in which accumulated excess body fat leads to adverse effects on health. Obesity continues to accelerate, resulting in an unprecedented epidemic that shows no significant signs of slowing down any time soon. Therefore, the present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and schema therapy in quality of life and general compliance in obese women.

In this study, we adopted a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group with a one-month follow-up. The research population consisted of obese women referring to Ayatollah Rouhani Hospital in Sari. Out of this population, 45 cases were selected by targeted non-random sampling and randomly assigned to two experimental groups (ACT and schema therapy) and a control group. The data collection instruments were the Quality of Life Questionnaire (SF-36) and the General Adherence Scale. The first experimental group underwent intervention in eight 60-90-minute ACT sessions, the second experimental group underwent eight 90-minute schema therapy sessions, and the control group did not receive any intervention. The data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 26) using the repeated measures ANOVA.

The findings demonstrated that ACT and schema therapy were effective in quality of life and overall compliance (P<0.05). Moreover, it was revealed that the schema therapy was more effective than ACT in overall compliance (P<0.05).

As evidenced by the results of this study, ACT and schema therapy are effective in improving quality of life and overall compliance in women with obesity, and schema therapy is more effective in overall compliance. Therefore, these approaches can be used in medical centers alongside medical interventions for treatment and care.

Acceptance of tinnitus may influence the perceived intensity and the distress it causes. The Tinnitus Acceptance Questionnaire (TAQ) is a useful tool for assessing tinnitus acceptance. This study aimed to assess the validity and reliability of the Persian version of the TAQ (P-TAQ) and determine the correlation of its scores with psychoacoustic measures in patients with chronic tinnitus.

After translation and confirming face validity, 85 patients with chronic tinnitus completed the P-TAQ, along with the Persian versions of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI). To determine the reliability, the P-TAQ was completed by 30 patients after two weeks. Psychoacoustic parameters including pitch matching, loudness matching, and Minimum Masking Level (MML) were measured for all patients.

The P-TAQ had high face validity. The internal consistency was confirmed using Cronbach’s alpha (α=0.92). The interclass correlation coefficient (0.994) confirmed reliability. A strong negative correlation was found between the total P-TAQ score and total THI score (p<0.001, r=–0.788), and the scores of the HADS subscales of anxiety (p<0.001, r=–0.623) and depression (p<0.001, r=–0.728). The total P-TAQ score showed a weak negative correlation with tinnitus loudness (p=0.003, r=–0.322) and PTA of both ears (r=–0.223, p=0.040). There was no significant correlation between the total P-TAQ score and the factors of age, tinnitus duration, tinnitus pitch, or MML.

The P-TAQ has excellent validity and reliability. Therefore, it can be used to assess tinnitus acceptance among Persian-speaking patients with chronic tinnitus.

This systematic review and meta-analysis summarized the studies that evaluated the effects of acceptance and commitment therapy on biological measures in Iranians with type 2 diabetes. In addition, the study determined the combined effect size of the varying effect sizes observed in various studies.

A systematic search of Iranian scientific databases, including insane.ir, Magiran, SID, Noormags, and ISC, from 2013 to 2023, retrieved randomized controlled trials that evaluated the effects of acceptance and commitment therapy on biological measures in type 2 diabetes. The study was conducted based on the main PRISMA reporting guideline (the PRISMA 2020 statement), and a meta-analysis report was generated by reviewing the studies that met the inclusion criteria.

Among the 26 studies, 10 were deemed suitable for inclusion based on the PRISMA statement, while the remaining 16 were excluded. The effect size of acceptance and commitment therapy on the biological markers in type 2 diabetes was 0.767, indicating a significant effect. The average effect sizes for fasting blood glucose (FBS), 2-hour postprandial glucose (2HPP), and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were 0.798, 0.586, and 0.711, respectively. These effect sizes suggest a significant effect for FBS, a relatively strong impact for 2HPP, and a strong effect for HbA1c.

Acceptance and commitment therapy significantly improve the biological measures of patients with type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, its impact on FBS and HbA1c indices exceeds that of HPP2.

The study's goal was to find out how well acceptance and commitment-based treatment worked for women going through divorce who were afraid of being negatively evaluated and experiencing anxiety.

Women considering divorce who sought help from family counseling facilities in Kerman City during the first three months of 2013 were the subjects of this semi-experimental pre-test-post-test study, which included a control group. The samples were split into two groups of 15 individuals at random. In an experiment, eight 60-minute mindfulness training sessions were given to one group. For the control group, no particular treatment approach was offered. A post-test was administered to both groups following the conclusion of the treatment period. The Fear of Negative Evaluation Questionnaire (BFNES) and Wells Anxiety were among the instruments utilized. For analysis, multivariate analysis of variance and covariance were employed.

According to the findings, women going through a divorce who received treatment based on acceptance and commitment experienced less anxiety and fear of negative evaluation; the linear combination of anxiety and fear of negative evaluation was affected by this treatment by 0.903. Anxiety was reduced by 0.807%, and fear of a negative evaluation was reduced by 0.685% with acceptance and commitment-based therapy.

Psychologists should use the acceptance and commitment-based therapy approach along with other treatment approaches to help women going through divorce feel less anxious and afraid of being negatively evaluated. Research indicates that this approach may be extremely effective.

Context: 

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy method focusing on acceptance and commitment to life values.

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the ACT method on the life expectancy (LE) of patients with different diseases. Evidence Acquisition: The present study is a literature review that collects findings from past related studies in the last two decades. For this purpose, the essential and common Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms were first identified. Then, the desired MeSH terms were searched in the most reliable and essential international databases, including Google Scholar, Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, and national databases, including Magiran, SID, Iran doc, etc. First, 265 articles were identified, and then 18 were selected as final studies considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria.

The findings of 18 studies were extracted for the present study. Some different types of patients, including those with rheumatoid arthritis, depression, multiple sclerosis, asthma, diabetes, liver transplants, chronic pain, cancer, physical-motor disabilities, drug addiction, and others, were shown to increase LE through the use of the ACT method. The main finding of the present study was that using the ACT method to increase LE in patients with various diseases has a significant effect, which was clearly highlighted in all the selected studies.

Based on the findings, ACT is an effective and high-efficiency method in increasing patients' LE. Acceptance and commitment therapy can improve LE, resilience, quality of life, compliance with treatment, and other patient benefits, thus improving the speed of recovery for patients. Therefore, the ACT method, which is a non-pharmacological method, can be used by specialists and clinical psychology experts for different patients.

 The aim of this study is to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Food Craving Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (FAAQ) in university students.

 The study included 394 undergraduate students at Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University. The study included individuals who volunteered to participate, were at least 18 years old, and did not have any severe psychological issues. Explanatory and confirmatory factor analyses of the scale were conducted by dividing the data set into two groups. Cronbach’s α coefficient was analyzed and a test-retest was conducted with 94 students.

 It was determined that the Food Craving Acceptance and Action Questionnaire had 2 factors (acceptance and willingness). The fit values of the scale were found to be CMIN/df=2.26; GFI=0.92; AGFI=0.87; CFI=0.85; RMSEA=0.08. The acceptance, willingness subscales and total Cronbach α coefficients of the scale were 0.761, 0.716 and 0.761, respectively. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) values were 0.84, 0.81 and 0.80 for acceptance, willingness and total scale score, respectively. Statistically significant negative correlations were found between the ‘acceptance’, ‘willingness’ subscale and total DEBQ, FCQ-T scores, subscale scores and mYFAS 2.0 symptom count (P<0.05).

 The FAAQ was found to have a two-factor structure and the fit values were found to be within the acceptable range. The age range for university students is considered to be that of adults, and this scale can also be applied to adults in general.

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a significant stressor for individuals facing infertility, potentially affecting treatment success. This randomized clinical trial investigates the effects of counseling utilizing Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on perceived stress in women undergoing IVF for primary infertility.

This clinical study, Sixty-three Iranian women with primary infertility undergoing IVF treatment were selected from Milad Infertility Center in Mashhad, Iran between 2021 and 2022. Participant firstly recruited through convenience sampling and then randomly assigned to either intervention or control group. The intervention group received 6 sessions of individual ACT, each lasting 45–60 minutes, with sessions held every six days. Both groups received standard medical care. The Newton's Infertility Stress Questionnaire was administered before treatment, two weeks post-counseling (on egg collection day), and two weeks after embryo transfer (on pregnancy test day). Data were analyzed using SPSS software, including independent t-tests, Mann-Whitney, and repeated analysis of variance.

Prior to intervention, the two groups were comparable in demographic characteristics and infertility stress. The intervention group experienced a statistically significant decrease in perceived stress on both egg collection and pregnancy test days, while the control group exhibited an increase (p=0.001The perceived stress score two weeks after embryo transfer in the intervention group shows a decrease compared to before the intervention (-15.5±24.0) while it was lower in the control group (and 7.4±.24.3) ( P=0≤0.05).

This study recommends individual ACT as an effective intervention for reducing perceived stress in women facing primary infertility during IVF treatment.

This study aimed to examine the efficacy of acceptance, mindfulness, and compassion (Kg-free) on obese and overweight women diagnosed with metabolic syndrome components.

In this randomized controlled trial, 52 obese and overweight women with body mass index (BMI) ≥25 were evaluated in two intervention and control groups, The intervention was implemented weekly. Triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), fasting blood sugar (FBS), blood pressure (BP), BMI, and waistline measurements thyroid tests were assessed measured as the main outcome, and life-quality and sexual function improvement as its secondary outcome in pre, post and follow-up phase.

The study results indicated that the acceptance, mindfulness, and compassion (Kg-free) protocol was effective on the BMI, waistline, TG level, BP (systolic and diastolic index), quality of life, and sexual function in women with overweight and obesity, but fasting BP and HDL level did not significant (d=0.001–0.50; significant at the 0.001 level).

The present trial was carried out aiming to examine the efficacy of group intervention based on acceptance, mindfulness, and compassion on obese and overweighed women and its effect on the components of metabolic syndrome, including the waistline, BMI, BP, FBS, TG, HDL, the quality of life, and the sexual function. Our results showed that group intervention based on acceptance, mindfulness, and compassion could reduce the BMI of the individuals in the intervention group compared to the control group. Moreover, the present study provided further evidence that this intervention bears an essential part in the psychological interventions for individuals struggling with overweight and obesity