Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment-Based Therapy on Depression and Irra-tional Beliefs in Women with Autism

Autism spectrum disorder has a profound effect on family life. Mothers of children with autism face many challenges. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy on depression and irrational beliefs in women with autistic children in Gachsaran.

The study population consisted of all mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder who were referred to special educational centers under the supervision of the  Behzisty Organization  Center of Gachsaran city. Control and experimental groups were replaced in two groups of 15 each.    

Findings showed that acceptance and commitment therapy was effective in reducing depression and irrational beliefs in women with autism in Gachsaran city (P <0.05). There was a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in at least one of the dependent variables  (P<0.01).

The results of this test indicated that there was a significant difference between the two groups in the post-test.