Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Psychological Indicators of Girls with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Objective: The purpose of this study was to effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy on emotional schemas and post-traumatic growth in girls with post-traumatic stress disorder. Methods: This experiential investigation was executed utilizing a pretest-posttest framework incorporating a control group, supplemented with a follow-up period of two months. The statistical population pertinent to this inquiry encompassed all females between the ages of 14 and 19 years who were referred to the welfare services in Bushehr city and the Aramesh counseling center; a total of 91 individuals were recorded in 2020, with a sample size of 40 girls selected through purposive sampling, which included one experimental group comprising 20 girls and a control group also consisting of 20 girls. The experimental cohort engaged in acceptance and commitment therapy across 10 sessions of 90 minutes each, whereas the control group did not receive any form of intervention and remained on a waiting list. Data collection was conducted through the PTSD symptom scale-interview, the emotional schemas scale and the posttraumatic growth inventory (PTGI). The analysis of the data was executed using analysis of variance with repeated measures alongside the Bonferroni correction. Results: The findings of the study indicated that acceptance and commitment therapy yielded a statistically significant impact on emotional schemas and post-traumatic growth during both post-test and follow-up assessments in participants (P<0.05). Conclusions: In light of the findings from this investigation, it can be posited that acceptance and commitment therapy may serve as an effective intervention for the enhancement of emotional schemas and post-traumatic growth in female patients suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder within clinical environments.