Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Optimism and Emotion Regulation in Veterans with Disabilities Below 25 Percent in Lahijan

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on optimism and emotion regulation in veterans with disabilities below 25 percent in Lahijan. The research employed a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test-post-test control group format. The statistical population included 119 veterans who visited the Veterans Foundation during the final quarter of 2017. From this population, 30 individuals were selected using convenience sampling and were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 15) and a control group (n = 15). The experimental group received eleven 90-minute sessions of ACT. The instruments used were the Life Orientation Test (LOT) and the Garnefski Emotion Regulation Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) in SPSS-24. The findings indicated that ACT significantly increased optimism (η² = 0.706, F = 64.745, p = 0.001) and improved emotion regulation strategies among the veterans. The intervention was effective in reducing maladaptive strategies such as self-blame and catastrophizing, while enhancing adaptive strategies such as acceptance and positive reappraisal (η² range = 0.498–0.859). The final conclusion demonstrated that ACT-based interventions play a decisive role in improving optimism and emotion regulation in veterans and can be used as an effective intervention strategy in service centers catering to this population.