The Effect of Acceptance and Commitment-based Therapy on Self-Compassion, Quality of Life and Marital Commitment of Women Who Filed for Divorce

The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of acceptance and commitment therapy on self-compassion, quality of life, and marital commitment of women who filed for divorce. The research method was quasi-experimental with a pretest-posttest and follow-up design. The population included all women who filed for divorce, either referring or were referred to the psychological and counseling centers under the supervision of the Welfare Organization in Neishabour. The sample was selected purposively. Then, 30 women were randomly assigned to the experimental and the control groups (i.e., each group included 15 participants). Data collection instruments included Neff’s Self-Compassion Scale (2003), the World Health Organization’s short form of Quality of Life Scale (1989), and Adams and Jones’ Marital Commitment Questionnaire (1997). Data analysis was performed through repeated measure analysis using SPSS software (version 25). The results showed that acceptance and commitment-based therapy had a positive effect on self-compassion, quality of life, and marital commitment of the women applying for divorce. In addition, the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment-based therapy was sustained in terms of self-compassion, quality of life, and marital commitment. As a result, this treatment can be used by psychologists and clinical counselors to offer psychological interventions on self-compassion, quality of life, and marital commitment of women who filed for divorce.