Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Difficulties in Emotion Regulation in Depressed Dialysis Patients

Background and Objective: Renal failure is associated with significant mood and emotional problems in patients, which necessitates effective psychological interventions. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on difficulties in emotion regulation in depressed dialysis patients. Materials and Methods: This semi-experimental study employed a pretest-posttest design with an unequal control group. The statistical population comprised dialysis patients undergoing treatment at Shahid Hashminejad Hospital (Tehran) during 2020-2021. A total of 42 depressed dialysis patients, each scoring above 29 on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), were selected through purposive sampling (homogeneous type) and randomly assigned to an experimental group or a control group. First, both groups completed the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) as a pretest. The experimental group then participated in ACT sessions, while the control group remained on the waiting list. Finally, the groups completed the posttest, and the data were collected. Results: The results of the MANCOVA test revealed a significant difference in the linear combination of the components of difficulties in emotion regulation between the two groups (Pillai's T= 0.904, F6,25= 39.070, P=0.001). The ANCOVA test results also showed a significant decrease (P<0.01) in all components of emotion regulation difficulties in the experimental group compared to the control group. Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that the ACT program is an effective treatment for reducing difficulties in emotion regulation in depressed dialysis patients. It is recommended as a treatment priority for this population