Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Anxiety, Cognitive Avoidance, and Empathy of Couples Visiting Counseling Centers in Ahvaz City, Iran

Abstract

Background: Anxiety can reduce the couples’ self-confidence and damage their mental health. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on anxiety, cognitive avoidance, and empathy among couples visiting counseling centers in Ahvaz City, Iran, in 2020. Methods: The research method was quasi-experimental with a pre-test, post-test design, follow-up, and a control group. The statistical population consisted of all couples with low marital adjustment who were referred to the psychological centers of Ahvaz in 2019. Using a convenience sampling method, 30 participants were selected and randomly divided into experimental and control groups (n=15 per group). The research instruments included the symptom checklist-90-revised, the cognitive avoidance questionnaire, and the basic empathy scale. The experimental group underwent eight 90-min sessions (one session per week) of ACT, and the control group did not receive any intervention. The follow-up was performed after 45 days. Repeated-measures ANOVA was used to analyze the data in SPSS. Results: ACT effectively decreased anxiety and cognitive avoidance and increased empathy among couples in the experimental group (P<0.001). The Mean±SD pre-test and post-test scores of anxiety in the experimental group were 23.33±2.89 and 18.93±3.36, respectively, which decreased compared to the post-test mean score (24.27±2.96) of the control group. Conclusion: ACT decreased anxiety and cognitive avoidance and significantly increased empathy in married individuals. ACT can improve empathy in couples involved in marital conflicts.

Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Integrated Behavioral Couples Therapy on Intimacy and Family Functioning in Divorce-seeking Couples

“…Results showed that ACT improved intimacy in divorce-seeking couples. This finding is consistent with the results of Mohammadian et al [14]. Intimacy between couples is crucial in creating a long-lasting marriage.…”

“…They avoid releasing their minds from interpersonal differences and follow interpersonal control and hostility toward each other. In this therapeutic approach, intimacy between couples improves as a consequence of acceptance, absence of empirical avoidance and use of control methods, increased mindfulness, determination of values and adjustment of expectations, and reduction of judgment and thinking [14]. On the other hand, individuals' perception of intimate relationships is formed through their emotional exchanges during childhood and their relationship with people close to them.…”

“…Accordingly, it is essential to address the levels of intimacy and family functioning among couples, especially divorce-seeking ones. Studies reported acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) as an effective approach to coping with emotional, cognitive, and behavioral problems in couples [14]. ACT is a newly developed model with key therapeutic processes that are different from those of conventional cognitive-behavioral therapy.…”

“…Therefore, ACT can increase effectiveness while reducing psychological symptoms when combined with traditional cognitive behavioral therapy techniques because of its underlying mechanisms, such as acceptance, awareness-raising, desensitization, living the moment, observation without judgment, confrontation, and emotional freedom [19]. Mohammadian et al [14] concluded that ACT decreased anxiety and cognitive avoidance, and significantly increased empathy in married individuals; moreover, ACT can be used to improve empathy in couples involved in marital conflicts.…”

Comparing the effectiveness of emotion-oriented couple therapy and acceptance and commitment-based couple therapy on cognitive indicators (experiential avoidance and emotion regulation) in couples affected by extramarital relationships

“…When people feel that their partner is unavailable and unresponsive, critical or rejecting, they often use emotional regulation strategies that unintentionally perpetuate or exacerbate relationship dysfunction and weaken the bond between them. (Mohammadian et al, 2021). These include: anxious scolding, demanding or withdrawing, and misplaced.…”