Comparison of the Effectiveness of Group Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Emotion Regulation Training on Worry Severity in Female Patients with Multiple Sclerosis in Ahvaz
Keywords:
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Emotion Regulation, Worry Severity, Multiple SclerosisAbstract
This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of group-based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Emotion Regulation Training on worry severity among women diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in Ahvaz. The present study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pretest–posttest control group and a three-month follow-up period. The statistical population consisted of all women diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in Ahvaz during 2024. Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a sample was selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental groups received either group-based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy or Emotion Regulation Training, whereas the control group received no intervention. Data were collected using the standardized Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ; Meyer et al., 1990). The data obtained during the pretest, posttest, and follow-up stages were analyzed using SPSS version 26 through descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistical tests, including multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA), repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA), and the Bonferroni post hoc test. The results indicated that both group-based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Emotion Regulation Training significantly reduced worry severity among women with Multiple Sclerosis. Furthermore, the findings revealed no significant difference between the effectiveness of these two therapeutic approaches. Overall, the results of the present study underscore the importance of psychological interventions based on acceptance, commitment, and emotion regulation in improving mental health indicators among women with Multiple Sclerosis and demonstrate that these approaches can be used as effective adjuncts to medical treatments.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Zahra Mousavi Moghadam (Author); Maryam Gholamzadeh jofreh; Masoud Shahbazi (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
