A Comparison of the Effectiveness of Group Therapy Based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on Experiential Avoidance and Cognitive Fusion in Patients with Migraine Headache

Migraine is a major, common and debilitating headache disorder that affects 10 to 20 percent of the population, especially the working age, and is one of the 20 most debilitating diseases in the world. The aim of this study was to determine and compare the effectiveness of the treatment group based on acceptance and commitment and cognitive behavioral therapy on the experimental and cognitive avoidance of patients with migraine headaches.

This study is a semi experimental study that was done in 2016. The statistical population of the study consisted of 30 patients with migraine headaches who were selected through targeted sampling and after randomized entry and exit of the research conditions in three groups; treatment based on acceptance and commitment, cognitive behavioral therapy and allocation control. Were given. In order to collect information, Ahvaz Najarianian Migraine Questionnaires, Admission and Practice - Second Edition(AAQ-II) and Cognitive Misunderstanding of Guilders et al. were used. The scores obtained from the evaluations were analyzed in three stages (pre-test, post-test and follow-up) with the help of one-way analysis of variance(Anova), Levin and Toki follow-up.

The results indicated the effect of acceptance-based therapy and commitment on experimental avoidance and cognitive coherence at two levels: short-term (p<0.05) and long-term (p<0.05) and the effect of cognitive-behavioral therapy on short-term cognitive coherence(p<0.05). And the ineffectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy on experimental avoidance at both short-term (p <0.05) and long-term (p <0.05) and cognitive coherence at the long-term (p<0.05) are significant. Furthermore, in comparing the effectiveness of cognitive-based therapy and commitment and cognitive-behavioral therapy, the findings show a significant difference between the two therapies on reducing experimental avoidance at both short-term (p<0.05) and long-term (p<0.05) and cognitive experimentation. It was short-term (p<0.05) and long-term (p<0.05).

Due to the lack of definitive drug treatment for people with migraine headaches and the fact that different aspects of their lives are affected by the recurrence of headaches in these patients, it is better for these patients to undergo a course of treatment based on acceptance and commitment so that they can continue to have headaches. The normal course of life will go smoothly and the quality of their life will not be adversely affected by the headache.