Research code: IR.IAU.ILAM.REC.1402.041
Ethics code: IR.IAU.ILAM.REC.1402.041
Clinical trials code: IR.IAU.ILAM.REC.1402.041
1- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, Ilam Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ilam, Iran
Abstract: (32 Views)
Background and Objectives: Recently, “Third wave” behavioral and cognitive interventions have received extensive attention between researchers. Both Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) are effective in treating various mental health conditions, but they differ in their approaches. ACT focuses on accepting difficult thoughts and feelings, while CBT aims to change negative thought patterns. Both ACT and CBT facilitate individuals to view their psychological symptoms from a more objective perspective and cover similar behavioral techniques such as activation and exposure. ACT is an ongoing form of care that can be integrated into daily life, while CBT is a goal-oriented therapy designed to treat short-term. ACT helps individuals develop psychological flexibility by teaching them to acknowledge and accept uncomfortable emotions, thoughts, and sensations, rather than trying to suppress or avoid them. This acceptance is a crucial first step in ACT, allowing individuals to then focus on taking actions aligned with their values. CBT a type of psychotherapy that helps individuals identify, challenge, and replace these unhelpful thoughts with more realistic and positive ones, ultimately leading to improved emotional well-being and behavior. Taken together with the aforementioned, it is crucial to determine the differences in efficacy between ACT and CBT on various outcome variables, investigate the potential moderating variables, and determine whether the mechanisms underlying the changes in both treatments are the same. ACT, often considered a "third wave" CBT, offers a complementary approach by emphasizing acceptance, mindfulness, and values-based action alongside CBT's cognitive restructuring and behavioral strategies. Future research may explore how to best target core processes across different therapies, potentially leading to more personalized and effective treatment approaches. Long-term pain experience and pain-related time beliefs are key factors for understanding pain experience and patients' psychological distress. The purpose of present study was to compare the effectiveness of ACT and CBT on anxiety and quality of life in patients with chronic pain.
Methods: The study recruited patients with patients with chronic pain from a Kermanshah University of Medical Science between August 2023 and July 2024. The purpose of present study was to compare the effectiveness of ACT and CBT on anxiety and quality of life in individuals with chronic pain referring to Kermanshah University of Medical Science. This study was a quasi-experimental pre-test-post-test design with a control group. The study sample consisted of 69 people with chronic pain symptoms who were selected using convenience sampling and then randomly assigned to two experimental groups and a control group. They responded to the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire (1996) and the Pain Anxiety Syndrome Scale (2002) to assess anxiety and quality of life before and after the intervention. The experimental groups received 8 sessions of 90-minute group therapy of ACT and BCT (one session per week). The study followed the principles of the Declaration of Kermanshah University of Medical Science. For the data analysis of this study, we used SPSS version 21.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). The data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA).
Findings: The results showed that ACT and CBT have a significant effect on improving the quality of life and reducing perceived anxiety in patients with chronic pain (p<0.011). This effect was also maintained over time.
Conclusion: According to the findings of this study, it can be mentioned that both ACT and CBT produced significant changes in reducing anxiety and improving quality of life. Therefore, this study provides empirical support for acceptance and commitment therapy in the treatment of patients with chronic pain.
Methods: The study recruited patients with patients with chronic pain from a Kermanshah University of Medical Science between August 2023 and July 2024. The purpose of present study was to compare the effectiveness of ACT and CBT on anxiety and quality of life in individuals with chronic pain referring to Kermanshah University of Medical Science. This study was a quasi-experimental pre-test-post-test design with a control group. The study sample consisted of 69 people with chronic pain symptoms who were selected using convenience sampling and then randomly assigned to two experimental groups and a control group. They responded to the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire (1996) and the Pain Anxiety Syndrome Scale (2002) to assess anxiety and quality of life before and after the intervention. The experimental groups received 8 sessions of 90-minute group therapy of ACT and BCT (one session per week). The study followed the principles of the Declaration of Kermanshah University of Medical Science. For the data analysis of this study, we used SPSS version 21.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). The data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA).
Findings: The results showed that ACT and CBT have a significant effect on improving the quality of life and reducing perceived anxiety in patients with chronic pain (p<0.011). This effect was also maintained over time.
Conclusion: According to the findings of this study, it can be mentioned that both ACT and CBT produced significant changes in reducing anxiety and improving quality of life. Therefore, this study provides empirical support for acceptance and commitment therapy in the treatment of patients with chronic pain.
Keywords: Anxiety, Quality of life, Acceptance and commitment therapy, Cognitive-behavioral therapy, Chronic pain
Type of Study: Original Research Article |
Subject:
Psychology
Send email to the article author
| Rights and permissions | |
 |
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |