اثربخشی درمان مبتنی بر پذیرش و تعهد بر اضطراب قلبی و انعطاف‌پذیری روان‌شناختی در بیماران مبتلا به عروق کرونر قلب دارای سابقه خانوادگی بیماری قلبی

ماهرخ آجرلو

Authors

Mahrokh Ajorloo Department of Clinical Psychology, ST.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. Author https://orcid.org/0009-0006-5601-6169

Keywords:

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cardiac Anxiety, Psychological Flexibility, Coronary Arteries

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in reducing cardiac anxiety and improving psychological flexibility among patients with coronary artery disease with a family history of heart disease.

Methodology: This quasi-experimental study used a pretest, posttest, and follow-up design with a control group. The statistical population consisted of patients with coronary artery disease who had a family history of heart disease and referred to Imam Hossein Hospital. Thirty eligible patients were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to an experimental group and a control group, with 15 participants in each group. The experimental group received an eight-session Acceptance and Commitment Therapy intervention, whereas the control group received no psychological intervention. Data were collected using the Cardiac Anxiety Questionnaire and the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II. The data were analyzed after testing statistical assumptions, using repeated-measures analysis of variance.

Findings: The multivariate test results indicated a significant effect of time on the study variables, with an eta squared value of 0.813. The interaction effect of time and group was also significant, with an eta squared value of 0.780. The within-group and between-group analyses showed that the effects of group, time, and the time × group interaction were significant for both cardiac anxiety and psychological flexibility. Bonferroni post hoc comparisons further indicated significant differences between pretest and posttest scores and between pretest and follow-up scores for both variables, confirming the effectiveness and persistence of the intervention effects over time.

Conclusion: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy appears to be an effective complementary psychological intervention for reducing cardiac anxiety and enhancing psychological flexibility in patients with coronary artery disease who have a family history of heart disease.

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