Investigating the Effectiveness of Life Skills Training Based on the Acceptance and Commitment Approach on Burnout and Mental Ruminations of Violent Women

The issue of domestic violence, especially violence against women, is a significant concern within family dynamics. This topic has drawn the attention of mental health professionals due to its profound impact on the mental well-being of those involved. The current study aimed to explore the impact of life skills training, grounded in the acceptance and commitment approach, on the burnout and mental rumination experienced by women subjected to violence.

In this quasi-experimental study, utilizing a pretest-posttest control group design, the target population comprised all married women who had experienced violence and sought help from family counseling centers in Rafsanjan, Iran, between March 2022 and October 2022. Using a convenience sampling method, 30 couples were randomly divided into two groups (each consisting of 15 individuals), based on several questionnaires, including Haj-Yahia’s Violence Against Women Questionnaire (1999), Pines’ Marital Burnout Questionnaire (1996), and Mental Rumination Questionnaire by Ghorbani et al. (2008). A control group was also selected, consisting of 15 individuals. The experimental group underwent 10 sessions of life skills training based on the acceptance and commitment approach. During this period, the control group did not receive any form of training. The participants were assessed using specific instruments both before and after the training sessions. Data were analyzed using the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) test in SPSS Version 22.

The results indicated that life skills training, grounded in the commitment and acceptance approach, had a beneficial impact on reducing marital burnout (F=7.21, P=0.01) and mental rumination (F=4.07, P=0.03). The intervention’s effectiveness, as indicated by the effect size, was found to be 0.47 for the burnout variable and 0.38 for the mental rumination variable.

The implementation of life skills training, based on the acceptance and commitment approach, plays a pivotal role in reducing marital burnout and mental rumination in women who have experienced violence. Given its effectiveness, it can be recommended as a potent educational method.