Comparison of the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on the Rate of Anger in High School Students in Tehran

Anger, natural excitement and adaptive value, but when it comes out of control, can lead to problems at work, interpersonal relationships, and overall quality of life. The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of two methods of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on anger control in male students.
In this quasi-experimental study, which was conducted as a pre-test-post-test with control group, using a multistage cluster sampling method, 45 male secondary school students of district 2 of education Tehran, who were studying in the academic year 2016-2017, were randomly divided into three groups of 15 (two experimental and one control group). The first group was subjected to 9 sessions of 60 minutes of cognitive-behavioral therapy and the second group received 9 sessions of 120 minutes of treatment based on acceptance and commitment. Data were collected by Spielberger's Anger Questionnaire. For analysis of data, covariance analysis was performed using the SPSS22.0.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy in the experimental groups reduced anger (P0.05).
Based on the findings, it can be concluded that cognitive-behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy reduced the student's anger. Therefore, the formulation of these therapeutic interventions can reduce student's anger and their educational problems.