Volume 11 - Articles-1400
MEJDS (2021) 11: 6 |
Back to browse issues page
Download citation:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
Tanha Doust K, Zahiri Mojdehi A, Zamani M, Zabihi Oskooei F, Amani O. The Effects of Acceptance and Commitment Group Therapy on Rumination and Emotional Processing in Women With Generalized Anxiety Disorder. MEJDS 2021; 11 :6-6
URL: http://jdisabilstud.org/article-1-1907-en.html
URL: http://jdisabilstud.org/article-1-1907-en.html
Katayun Tanha Doust1 
, Atefeh Zahiri Mojdehi2 , Monir Zamani3 , Faezeh Zabihi Oskooei * 4, Omid Amani5
, Atefeh Zahiri Mojdehi2 , Monir Zamani3 , Faezeh Zabihi Oskooei * 4, Omid Amani5
1- Arak Branch, Islamic Azad University
2- Shahroud Branch, Islamic Azad University
3- Naein Branch, Islamic Azad University
4- Faculty of Literature and Human Sciences, University of Malayer
5- Shahid Beheshti University
2- Shahroud Branch, Islamic Azad University
3- Naein Branch, Islamic Azad University
4- Faculty of Literature and Human Sciences, University of Malayer
5- Shahid Beheshti University
Abstract: (1837 Views)
Background & Objectives: Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is among the most prevalent anxiety disorders. GAD is characterized by excessive, chronic, and uncontrolled anxiety about multiple activities or events associated with experiencing physical symptoms. A feature of this disorder is the presence of negative repetitive thoughts or ruminations that aggravate and persist the condition. Numerous psychological interventions have emerged over the past decades to treat this disorder. Accordingly, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), as the third generation of these interventions is among the newest forms of cognitive–behavioral therapy. The goal of ACT is to eliminate experimental avoidance and increase psychological flexibility. Due to the high prevalence, chronic episodes, and prolonged course of GAD; the comorbidity of this disorder with other psychiatric disorders, and its multiple effects on the lives of affected individuals, ACT seems to be an appropriate option to manage their conditions. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effects of group–based ACT on rumination and emotional processing in women with GAD.
Methods: This was a quasi–experimental study with pretest–posttest–follow–up and a control group design. The statistical population of the study included all women with GAD referring to counseling and psychological services centers in the west of Tehran City, Iran, in 2018–2019. Of them, 30 were selected using the convenience sampling method based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the study, as the research sample. The inclusion criteria of the study included voluntarily completing the informed consent form to participate in the research; a minimum of secondary education; presenting the characteristics of GAD as per the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale–7 (GAD–7) (Spitzer et al., 2006) and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM–5), and not participating in similar studies. The exclusion criteria of the study consisted of the presence of any bio psychological illnesses affecting the process of intervention; absence from >2 intervention sessions, and dissatisfaction with participating in the research. The research data were collected in the pretest, posttest, and one–month follow–up phases using the Ruminative Response Scale (Nolen–Hoeksema & Morrow, 1991) and the Emotional Processing Scale (Baker et al., 2007). ACT was administered to the experimental group for 12 sessions (one session per week for an average of 90 minutes); however, no intervention was provided to the controls. The protocol used in the present investigation was based on a study by Steven Hayes, developed by Orsillo et al. (2004) for anxiety disorders. The obtained data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean & standard deviation) and inferential statistics, i.e., repeated–measures Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) in SPSS at the significance level of 0.05.
Results: The obtained data suggested significant differences in the mean pretest-posttest–follow–up scores of distraction (F=60.96, p<0.001), reflection (F=30.41, p<0.001), brooding (F=24.07, p<0.001), total rumination score (F=70.40, p<0.001), and total emotional processing score (F=29.68, p<0.001) between the experimental and control groups. In other words, the provided group-based ACT reduced rumination and improved emotional processing in the explored women with GAD in the posttest and follow–up phases. The Eta–squared value also revealed that the effect of group-based ACT on distraction was measured as 0.68, the same for reflection was calculated as 0.52, the score of brooding was 0.46, total rumination score equaled 0.72, and the same for emotional processing was computed as 0.51.
Conclusion: The present study results indicated the beneficial effects of group ACT on rumination and emotional processing in women with GAD. Thus, implementing short–term, group–based, and evidence–based therapies, such as ACT may alleviate the signs and symptoms of GAD, leading to improved mental health status in this population.
Methods: This was a quasi–experimental study with pretest–posttest–follow–up and a control group design. The statistical population of the study included all women with GAD referring to counseling and psychological services centers in the west of Tehran City, Iran, in 2018–2019. Of them, 30 were selected using the convenience sampling method based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria of the study, as the research sample. The inclusion criteria of the study included voluntarily completing the informed consent form to participate in the research; a minimum of secondary education; presenting the characteristics of GAD as per the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale–7 (GAD–7) (Spitzer et al., 2006) and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM–5), and not participating in similar studies. The exclusion criteria of the study consisted of the presence of any bio psychological illnesses affecting the process of intervention; absence from >2 intervention sessions, and dissatisfaction with participating in the research. The research data were collected in the pretest, posttest, and one–month follow–up phases using the Ruminative Response Scale (Nolen–Hoeksema & Morrow, 1991) and the Emotional Processing Scale (Baker et al., 2007). ACT was administered to the experimental group for 12 sessions (one session per week for an average of 90 minutes); however, no intervention was provided to the controls. The protocol used in the present investigation was based on a study by Steven Hayes, developed by Orsillo et al. (2004) for anxiety disorders. The obtained data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean & standard deviation) and inferential statistics, i.e., repeated–measures Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) in SPSS at the significance level of 0.05.
Results: The obtained data suggested significant differences in the mean pretest-posttest–follow–up scores of distraction (F=60.96, p<0.001), reflection (F=30.41, p<0.001), brooding (F=24.07, p<0.001), total rumination score (F=70.40, p<0.001), and total emotional processing score (F=29.68, p<0.001) between the experimental and control groups. In other words, the provided group-based ACT reduced rumination and improved emotional processing in the explored women with GAD in the posttest and follow–up phases. The Eta–squared value also revealed that the effect of group-based ACT on distraction was measured as 0.68, the same for reflection was calculated as 0.52, the score of brooding was 0.46, total rumination score equaled 0.72, and the same for emotional processing was computed as 0.51.
Conclusion: The present study results indicated the beneficial effects of group ACT on rumination and emotional processing in women with GAD. Thus, implementing short–term, group–based, and evidence–based therapies, such as ACT may alleviate the signs and symptoms of GAD, leading to improved mental health status in this population.
Keywords: Acceptance and commitment therapy, Rumination, Emotional processing, Generalized Anxiety Disorder.
Type of Study: Original Research Article |
Subject:
Psychology
References
1. 1. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 5th edition. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Association; 2013, pp:133-7.
2. 2. Ruscio AM, Hallion LS, Lim CCW, et al. Cross-sectional comparison of the epidemiology of DSM-5 generalized anxiety disorder across the globe. JAMA Psychiatry. 2017;74(5):465–75. [DOI]
3. 3. Omani-Samani R, Ghaheri A, Navid B, Sepidarkish M, Maroufizade S. Prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder and its related factors among infertile patients in Iran: a cross-sectional study. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes. 2018;16(1):129. [DOI]
4. 4. Mansouri A, Farnam A, Bakhshipour Roodsari A, Mahmood Aliloo M. The comparison of rumination in patients with major depression disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and normal individuals. Journal of Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences. 2010;17(3):189–95. [Persian]
5. 5. Brinker M, Brosché M, Vinocur B, Abo-Ogiala A, Fayyaz P, Janz D, et al. Linking the salt transcriptome with physiological responses of a salt-resistant populus species as a strategy to identify genes important for stress acclimation. Plant Physiol. 2010;154(4):1697–709. [DOI]
6. 6. Nolen-Hoeksema S, Davis CG. “Thanks for sharing that”: ruminators and their social support networks. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1999;77(4):801–14. [DOI]
7. 7. Rachman S. Emotional processing, with special reference to post-traumatic stress disorder. International Review of Psychiatry. 2001;13(3):164–71. [DOI]
8. 8. Baker R, Thomas S, Thomas PW, Owens M. Development of an emotional processing scale. Journal of Psychosomatic Research. 2007;62(2):167–78. [DOI]
9. 9. Borkovec TD, Alcaine OM, Behar E. Avoidance theory of worry and generalized anxiety disorder. In: Heimberg RG, Turk CL, Mennin DS; editors. Generalized anxiety disorder: advances in research and practice. New York: Guilford Press; 2004.
10. 10. Orsillo SM, Roemer L, Block-Lerner J, LeJeune C, Herbert JD. ACT with anxiety disorders. In: Hayes SC, Strosahl KD; editors. A practical guide to acceptance and commitment therapy. Boston, MA: Springer US; 2004. pp: 103–32. [DOI]
11. 11. Lewis M, Naugle A. Measuring experiential avoidance: evidence toward multidimensional predictors of trauma sequelae. Behavioral Sciences. 2017;7(4):9. [DOI]
12. 12. Hayes SC, Strosahl KD, Wilson KG. Acceptance and commitment therapy: the process and practice of mindful change. Second ediotion. Guilford Press; 2011.
13. 13. Demehri F, Saeedmanesh M, Jala N. The effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on rumination and well-being in adolescents with general anxiety disorder. Middle Eastern Journal of Disability Studies. 2018;8:25. [Persian] [Article]
14. 14. Ainsworth B, Bolderston H, Garner M. Testing the differential effects of acceptance and attention-based psychological interventions on intrusive thoughts and worry. Behaviour Research and Therapy. 2017;91:72–7. [DOI]
15. 15. Ruiz FJ, Hernández DR, Suárez Falcón JC, Luciano Soriano MC. Effect of a one-session ACT protocol in disrupting repetitive negative thinking: a randomized multiple-baseline design. International Journal of Psychology and Psychological Therapy. 2016;16(3):213–33. [Article]
16. 16. Tarkhan M. The effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on emotion regulation and life meaning of depressed women. Journal of Psychological Studies. 2017;13(3):64–147. [Persian]
17. 17. Asghari M, Faleh Kar A, Zaree A, Mirza Hoseini F, Amani O. Comparison of the efficacy of acceptance commitment therapy and electrical stimulation with alternating current on mood symptoms in depressed patients. Iranian Journal of Nursing Research. 2018;13(4):16–23. [Persian] [Article]
18. 18. Spitzer RL, Kroenke K, Williams JBW, Löwe B. A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder: the GAD-7. Arch Intern Med. 2006;166(10):1092–7. [Article]
19. 19. Nolen-Hoeksema S, Morrow J. A prospective study of depression and posttraumatic stress symptoms after a natural disaster: The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1991;61:115-21. [DOI]
20. 20. Naeinian MR, Shairi MR, Sharifi M, Hadian M. To study reliability and validity for a brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder (GAD-7). Clinical Psychology & Personality. 2011;3(4):41–50. [Persian] [Article]
21. 21. Lotfi S, Abolghasemi A, Narimani M. A comparison of emotional processing and fear of positive/negative evaluations in women with social phobia and normal women. Journal of Knowledge and Research in Applied Psychology. 2013;14(3):101–11. [Persian]
Send email to the article author
| Rights and permissions | |
 |
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |
