The Effectiveness of Acceptance- and Commitment-Based Therapy on Social Adjustment, Psychological Well-Being and Self-Criticism of People with Anxiety Referring to Psychological Clinics in the City of Ahvaz

Considering the high prevalence of anxiety and the need to investigate the effectiveness of psychological interventions in helping people with anxiety, this study aimed to explore the effectiveness of acceptance- and commitment-based therapy on social adjustment, psychological well-being and self-criticism in people with anxiety in the city of Ahvaz. This study was of an educational trial type in which the research population consisted of all the people with anxiety referring to clinics in the city of Ahvaz. From this population, 40 persons were selected using the convenience sampling method as the sample and were then assigned to each of the experimental and control groups using the simple random sampling method. The research design was experimental with a pretest-posttest and a control group. Data were collected using the social adjustment questionnaire, psychological well-being questionnaire and self-confidence questionnaire. In the experimental group, an intervention-based treatment, based on admission and commitment, was performed one session a week for eight weeks, each session lasting 120 minutes. Both groups took a post-test at the end of the intervention and after a two-month follow up. Data were analyzed by multivariate analysis of covariance analysis using version 18 of the SPSS software. The results showed that the intervention in the experimental group was based on all the three variables of social adjustment (F = 8.74, p= 0.000), psychological well-being (F = 39.31, p= 0.000) and self-criticism (F = 34/92 and p=000/0). The results of data analysis indicate the effect of acceptance- and commitment-based therapy on improving the psychological status of people with anxiety. Therefore, the use of this therapeutic approach by clinical therapists is recommended in treating people with anxiety.