Comparing the effectiveness of self-compassion training and therapy based on acceptance and commitment Cognitive flexibility of mothers of children with autism

The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of self-compassion training and acceptance and commitment-based therapy on the cognitive flexibility of mothers of children with autism.

This research was applied in terms of purpose and semi-experimental pre-test-post-test with a control group and a follow-up phase and the statistical population included mothers of children with autism in Dost Autism Institute in Tehran in 2019. 45 people from this community were selected as a sample group using voluntary and non-probability sampling methods and replaced by simple random in three groups of 15 people which included two experimental groups and one control group. The first group of the experiment received eight sessions of self-compassion training and the second group of the experiment received eight sessions of acceptance and commitment training. The duration of the sessions for both groups was 45 minutes weekly, and the control group was placed on the waiting list. The research tools were the cognitive flexibility questionnaire, acceptance and commitment protocol, and self-compassion protocol. The data were analyzed using the method of multivariate analysis of covariance and repeated measurement.

The results showed that self-compassion training and therapy based on acceptance and commitment were effective on the cognitive flexibility of mothers of children with autism. Therefore, teaching self-compassion and treatment based on acceptance and commitment can have useful results in improving the mental health of these mothers.