Comparing the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment based therapy on health anxiety in nurses

Introduction: Although some researches indicate that cognitive-behavioral therapy is more effective than other treatments, but the need to compare cognitive-behavioral therapy with an approach such as acceptance and commitment-based therapy can be seen in reducing health anxiety. Aim: The study aimed to compare the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment-based therapy on health anxiety in nurses. Methods: The research method was semi-experimental with a pre-test-post-test-follow-up design and a control group. The statistical population of this study included all the nurses of Hazrat Rasool Akram Hospital in Tehran in the spring of 2023, and 45 of them were selected by purposeful sampling and randomly assigned to 2 intervention and one control group. The research tools included a demographic questionnaire and a "Health Anxiety Inventory". After conducting 8 sessions of "cognitive-behavioral therapy" and 8 sessions of "acceptance and commitment-based therapy" for the intervention groups, the data were analyzed in SPSS software version 24. Results: "Cognitive behavioral therapy" and "acceptance and commitment-based therapy" were effective on health anxiety in the intervention groups (P=0.001). The mean difference in health anxiety in "cognitive-behavioral therapy" groups, "acceptance and commitment-based therapy" and control groups (P<0.01) as well as "cognitive-behavioral therapy" and "acceptance and commitment based therapy" groups (P<0.05) was significant. Conclusion: The results showed that cognitive-behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment-based therapy are effective in improving nurses' health anxiety but cognitive-behavioral therapy is more effective. It is suggested that health officials and professionals hold empowerment courses with a cognitive-behavioral approach or acceptance and commitment-based therapy.