The effectiveness of acceptance and commitment approach on quality of life and body image in patients with skin disorders by modulating emotional reactivity

Psychosomatic disorders of the skin include skin diseases in which psychological causes and consequences or accompanying conditions have a fundamental and therapeutic effect on the disease process. The aim of this research is to investigate the effectiveness of the acceptance and commitment approach on quality of life and body image by modulating emotional reactivity in patients with skin disorders.

In this semi-experimental research, pre-test and post-test were used for two experimental and control groups, and the follow-up phase was implemented after two months. The statistical population included all patients with skin disorders in Tabriz, 15 people with high reactivity and 15 people with low reactivity in the acceptance and commitment group, and 15 people with low reactivity and 15 people with high reactivity in the control group. They were randomly replaced. World Health Organization quality of life questionnaires and body image scale (1990) were used as data collection tools. Analysis of variance with repeated measurements was used to analyze the data.

The results of the analysis of variance with repeated measurements showed that the approach based on acceptance and commitment has created a significant increase in the body image (P<0.01) and the quality of life (P<0.01) of patients with skin disorders. And these results remained stable in the two-month follow-up (P<0.05). Also, the results showed that the interactive effect of emotional reactivity and group has no significant effect on quality of life and body image.

Teaching interventions based on acceptance and commitment are effective in improving the quality of life and body image in patients with skin disorders.