Investigating the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy(ACT) on Functioning of Family with Children suffering from Mental Retardation

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on function of families with children suffering from mental retardation. The method of this study was quasi-experimental with a pre-test post-test design with a control group. The sample of the study included all the mothers with children suffering from mental retardation in Isfahan. Convenience sampling was used and 40 individuals were selected and assigned to the experimental and control groups randomly. The participants of the experimental group were exposed to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy(ACT) sessions for 8 sessions of 90 minutes. The control group received no intervention. The instrument of this study included Bloom's Family Functioning Scale. ANCOVA analysis was used to analyze the data. The findings of the study showed that Acceptance and Commitment Therapy(ACT) was effective on function of families (P<0.0001). It is better that for increase function of family use of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy(ACT).