The Comparison of the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Mentalization Based Treatment on Conflict Resolution Strategies in Spouses Whose Partners Affected by OCD

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a chronic and debilitating disorder characterized by recurrent and persistent thoughts and behaviors associated with anxiety. Considering show the importance and fundamental role of the family in the process of obsessive compulsive disorder in family members, the aim of this research is to compare the effectiveness of the acceptance and commitment therapy and mentalization based treatment on the conflict resolution strategies in the spouses of people with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Methods and Materials: 

The research method was a semi-experimental method with a two-step process (pre-test, post-test) in three experimental groups (education group based on acceptance and commitment treatment, education group based on mentalization, control group). In this process, the independent variables are the acceptance and commitment treatment and also the mentalization treatment and dependent variable is the conflict resolution strategies.  The research samples included 45 spouses of people suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder, who were placed in three experimental groups of 15 people: treatment based on acceptance and commitment, treatment based on mentalization, and the control group.

The results showed that there is a significant difference between the scores of the conflict resolution strategies in the post-test of the acceptance and commitment group and the mentalization group, and this difference is in favor of the acceptance group. That is, the scores of conflict resolution strategies in the post-test of the acceptance and commitment group were significantly lower than the mentalization group (P<0.05).

Based on this we can say that acceptance and commitment therapy has more effect on conflict resolution strategies.