Comparison of the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and compassion-focused therapy (CFT) on functional somatic syndromes and psychological distress in patients with physical symptoms disorder

They always affect physical and mental health. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) on functional somatic syndromes and psychological distress in patients with physical symptoms disorder.

The research method was quasi-experimental with pre-test, post-test and follow-up design with a control group. In the present study, the subjects were randomly divided into experimental and control groups (30 in the experimental group and 30 in the control group) after performing the pre-test. The statistical population of the study included: all people with physical symptoms disorder who referred to Sarah Counseling Centers and Imam Zaman (AS) Helping Association in Isfahan in the first half of 1400. Using the available sampling method, 60 people who met the conditions for entering the study were selected and then, by justifying the objectives of the research and having the consent to participate in the research, were randomly divided into experimental and control groups.

The results of data analysis showed that acceptance and commitment-based therapy (ACT) and compassion-focused therapy (CFT) were significant compared to the control group in the post-test stage, functional somatic syndrome and psychological distress (p <0.05). It indicates that the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Compassion-Based Therapy (CFT) on functional somatic syndrome and psychological distress in people with physical symptoms disorder has been significant. But there was no significant difference between the effect of acceptance and commitment group therapy (ACT) compared to compassion-focused therapy group (CFT) in the research variables (p <0.05).

It can be concluded that the treatment based on acceptance and commitment had a greater effect compared to the treatment focused on compassion in functional somatic syndromes and psychological distress in patients with physical symptoms disorder.