Effectiveness of ACT with and without Mindfulness plus Exercises on Spiritual Health in Hemodialysis

Spirituality and psychological interventions are effective in promoting mental health and treating patients undergoing hemodialysis. The present study seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment based on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) before dialysis, with and without mindfulness exercises during dialysis, on the spiritual health of these patients.

The research design was quasi-experimental with a control group (two experimental groups and one control group) and a two-month follow-up. The study population included all patients on hemodialysis referring to hospitals affiliated to Imam Zaman Hospital in Mashhad City, Iran, from July to December 2020. A total of 60 patients were selected by a purposive sampling method based on the inclusion criteria. Then, they were randomly divided into three groups. The research instrument included a spiritual health questionnaire, and data analysis was performed by repeated-measures analysis of variance.

The results showed that both experimental groups of ACT before dialysis (P<0.001), with or without mindfulness plus exercises during dialysis (P=0.004), were effective on spiritual health in patients on hemodialysis.

ACT alone as an effective intervention can be used in medical centers to increase the spiritual health of patients on hemodialysis.