Comparison of the Effectiveness of Existential Group Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment-Based Group Therapy on the Feeling of Loneliness in Single Students About to Get Married
Keywords:
Acceptance and commitment therapy, existential therapy, loneliness, students, group interventionAbstract
Objective: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of existential group therapy and acceptance and commitment-based group therapy on loneliness in single university students preparing for marriage.
Methodology: This quasi-experimental study employed a pre-test, post-test, and follow-up design with a control group. A total of 75 undergraduate students from Azad University of Mashhad (Elahiyeh branch) in Fall 2023 were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to two experimental groups and one control group (25 participants each). The existential group therapy was conducted over 10 sessions, while ACT-based group therapy included 8 weekly sessions. Loneliness was measured using the UCLA Loneliness Scale. Data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate ANCOVA.
Findings: ANCOVA results revealed significant differences among the groups in loneliness reduction (p<0.01). Both intervention groups showed significant decreases in loneliness at post-test and follow-up compared to the control group. Furthermore, mean comparison indicated that ACT-based therapy had a greater effect in reducing loneliness than existential therapy.
Conclusion: The findings indicate that both existential and ACT-based group therapies are effective in alleviating loneliness in single students preparing for marriage, with ACT showing superior outcomes. These interventions can be beneficially implemented in university mental health and counseling programs.
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