The Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment-based Therapy in Reducing Depressive Symptoms, Irrational Beliefs and Psychological Well-Being of Women

Given the importance and position of women in the family, it seems that measures should be taken for their mental health. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment based therapy on depressive symptoms, irrational beliefs and mental psychological well-being of women. This quasi-experimental study was a pre-test, post-test and follow-up after three months. The statistical population included women who referred to Mehregan Counseling Center in Mashhad who had referred in 2019. Among them, 30 women with depressive symptoms were randomly selected and randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group awaiting treatment. To collect the data, the Irrational Beliefs Questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory and Ryff Psychological Well-Being Scale were used. The results of repeated measures analysis of variance showed that acceptance and commitment-based therapy is effective in reducing depressive symptoms and irrational beliefs as well as increasing women's psychological well-being. Therefore, acceptance and commitment therapy can be effective in reducing depression, irrational beliefs and increasing women's psychological well-being. It is suggested that by using these variables by medical centers, other relevant organs and organizations, an effective step can be taken to improve the mental health status of women.