Comparing the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) on improving self-esteem and post-divorce adaptation in women

Post divorce adjustments is a process of separation from the marital relationships, solving emotions caused by marital dissociation, consolidation of relations with previous and new wife or both of them after divorce. The present research aimed to compare the impact of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) on strengthening the divorced womens’ self-esteem and post-divorce adjustment. The study was of a quasi-experimental type with pre-test, post-test and control group. 36 women were randomly assigned to experimental groups: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy group (ACT), Compassion Focused Therapy group (CFT) and control group. Two experimental groups (ACT & CFT) received 8 weekly 90 minutes’ sessions of ACT and CFT. They were assessed by utilizing Cooper-Smith Self-esteem Inventory (SEI) and Fisher Post-Divorce Adjustment Scale (FADS) in pre test, post test and follow up phase. Post test result showed a significant improvement in the womens’ post-divorce adjustment and self-esteem in the ACT and CFT groups. The impact of both therapeutic approaches in the follow-up phase was sustained. Based on the findings, it can be concluded that both Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Compassion Focused Therapy, could not only promote the level of post-divorce adjustment in divorced women but also resulted in their improved self-esteem.