The effectiveness of treatment based on acceptance and commitment to reduce rumination and worry about body image of elderly patients with depression

The main purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in reducing rumination and anxiety about the body image of the elderly with depression.

The statistical population of the study was all the elderly with depression in the welfare centers of Shiraz city, Iran. By simple random sampling, 30 cases were selected and were divided randomly into two experimental and control groups. In the intervention phase, the experimental group received acceptance and commitment treatment for 8 sessions. During this period, the control group did not receive any intervention. To collect the data, body image scale, Beck Depression Inventory- second edition and ruminative response scale in pre-test and post-test stages were used for both experimental and control groups. Research data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, multivariate analysis of covariance, and SPSS.21. 

The results of analysis of covariance showed a significant difference between the two groups in terms of rumination components and worry about body image (P< 0.05). 

The findings showed that acceptance and commitment therapy reduces rumination and worry about body image in elderly depressed patients.