The Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on EmotionManagement, Experiential Avoidance and Cognitive Flexibility in Women Affected byMarital Infidelity

Psychosomatic illnesses are physical illnesses in which psychological factors are influentialin their onset or exacerbation. This study aimed atcomparing anxiety and quality of life inpsychosomatic clients undergoing cognitive-behavioral and drug treatment with clientsundergoing drug treatment. The method was causal-comparative. The statistical populationincluded 70 patients who referred to Specialized Counseling and Mental Health Clinic ofLahijan from different cities of Guilan province with a diagnosis of psychosomatic illnessfrom 2013 to 2022. 38 people were selected as a statistical sample among them, in apurposeful manner and were randomly divided into two groups and 19 people in eachgroup. The first group received both drug treatment and 8 sessions of cognitive-behavioraltherapy intervention, based on the content of Beck Treatment Protocol, one and a half hoursper session per week. But the second group used only medication. Both groups were testedby the Anxiety Questionnaire and the World Health Organization Quality of LifeQuestionnaire. Statistical analysis method was multivariate analysis of variance usingS.SPSsoftware. The results showed that the average anxiety in the cognitive-behavioraland drug group (first group) and in the drug therapy group (second group) were differentand this difference was significant. Also, the average quality of life in the first group and inthe second group were different and this difference was significant. Therefore, alongwithdrug therapy, counseling expertise can be effectively used to reduce anxiety and increasethe quality of life of psychosomatic patients and treat mental disorders, in psychiatriccenters.