A Comparison of the Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Behavioral Activation Therapy on Emotion Regulation and Treatment Adherence in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes
Keywords:
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Behavioral Activation, Emotion Regulation, Treatment Adherence, Type 2 DiabetesAbstract
Objective: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Behavioral Activation Therapy (BAT) on emotion regulation and treatment adherence in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Methodology: This semi-experimental study employed a pretest-posttest-follow-up design with a control group. The statistical population included patients with type 2 diabetes referred to health centers in Tehran. A total of 60 participants were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to three groups (two experimental and one control). The experimental groups received either ACT or BAT in eight two-hour sessions. Research instruments included the Emotion Regulation Scale and the Treatment Adherence Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using mixed ANOVA and Bonferroni post hoc tests.
Findings: The results indicated that both intervention groups showed significant improvements in emotion regulation and treatment adherence compared to the control group (p<0.001). However, the ACT group demonstrated significantly greater effectiveness than the BAT group in both variables. This superiority remained consistent at the follow-up phase. The control group exhibited no significant changes across all time points.
Conclusion: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is more effective than Behavioral Activation Therapy in enhancing emotion regulation and treatment adherence among patients with type 2 diabetes. ACT can be recommended as a valuable psychological intervention in diabetes care.
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