The Effects of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Plus Positive Thinking Training on Distress and Wellbeing in Infertile Women With Marital Conflicts

Infertile women experience negative feelings, such as anxiety, depression, and despair; accordingly, such conditions create strategies to cope with infertility, i.e., significant for a sense of stability. The present study aimed to determine the effects of an integrated approach, consisting of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Positive Thinking Training (PTT) on distress and wellbeing in infertile women with marital conflicts.

In this randomized controlled trial, 30 infertile couples referring to the Infertility Clinic in Tehran, Iran was explored. The integrated approach group completed NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI), Fertility Problem Stress Scale, and Ryff’s Psychological Wellbeing Scale before and 1 month after the completion of the intervention. A Dependent Samples t-test was used to analyze the collected data.

According to the current research results, there was a significant difference in distress and wellbeing among the examined infertile women with marital conflicts (P<0.05). One month after the completion of the intervention, the mean overall distress score in the integrated approach group was significantly less than that of the pre-test phase (P<0.05). Furthermore, the mean overall score of wellbeing after the therapy sessions was significantly higher than that of the pretest step in the study subjects (P<0.05).

Considering the effectiveness of the integrated approach based on ACT plus PTT on distress and wellbeing in infertile women, this method can be used in infertility clinics. Healthcare providers and counselors should receive training on ACT and PTT to improve mental health and wellbeing among infertile couples.