Comparing the Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in the Resilience of Mothers with Autistic Children

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Department of Psychology, Torbat-e Jam Branch, Islamic Azad University, Torbat-e Jam, Iran

Abstract

Background: Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) need special care that can create anxiety in parents, particularly their mothers, and endanger their well-being.
 
Objectives: The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in the resilience of mothers with autistic children.
 
Methods: This quasi-experimental study was performed on mothers referred to special educational and medical centers for autism in Mashhad. A total of 45 mothers of children with autism were selected using convenience sampling and were randomly assigned to two experimental groups and one control group. The experimental groups of CBT and ACT underwent interventions based on the treatment plans of Bieling et al. and Vowles and Sorrell, respectively, in eight 90-minute sessions. The research tool was the resilience questionnaire of Connor and Davidson.
 
Results: Based on the results, the control group significantly differed from CBT and ACT training groups (P<0.001). This difference was more pronounced for the ACT group in the components of perception of individual competence and spiritual effects (F=37.24, F=37.87, respectively, and P=0.00), while for the CBT group, more differences were observed in the components of trust in individual instincts (F=03.19), positive acceptance (F=94.91), and control (F=06.13, and for all P=0.00).
 
Conclusion: The obtained results confirmed that CBT is more effective than ACT in the resilience of mothers with autistic children. It is recommended that CBT be used to promote the mental health of these mothers.
 

Keywords

Open Access Policy: This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. To view a copy of this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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Razavi International Journal of Medicine
Volume 11, Issue 1
February 2023
Pages 38-45

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