Comparing the Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy With Compassion-Focused Therapy on the Intensity of Resiliency and Worry in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis

Given the increasing number of patients with multiple sclerosis and the psychological complications that affect this group, the present study was conducted to compare the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy and compassion-focused therapy for these patients

This research was a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test-post-test design with a control group. A total of 45 patients with multiple sclerosis were selected from MS patients in Tehran Clinic, Tehran City, Iran, in 2020. They were randomly divided into three groups: the first group was under treatment based on acceptance and commitment therapy, the second group was assigned to the compassion-focused therapy, and the third group was the control. The participants completed the Connor and Davidson resilience questionnaire and the Pennsylvania concern questionnaire in the pretest and post-test stages. The first and second groups participated in eight sessions of acceptance and commitment therapy and ten sessions of compassion-focused therapy, respectively. The control group did not receive any intervention. The post-test was done at the end of the therapy sessions. Data were reported by analysis of covariance.

This research was approved by the Torbat Jam Branch, Islamic Azad University (Cod: IR.IAU.TJ.REC.1399.012).
Results The results of univariate analysis of covariance were obtained at the statistical level of P<0.05. In this regard, F=5.88 for resilience and F=42.60 for anxiety intensity were obtained, which indicated the greater effectiveness of acceptance and commitment treatment.

Considering the effectiveness of both treatments, it is suggested that these treatments be given more attention to controlling patients’ psychological symptoms.