The Effect of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Cognitive Fusion in Anxious Students

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on cognitive fusion in anxious students.

Methods and Materials: The present research is a quasi-experimental study with a pretest, posttest, and follow-up design, along with a control group. The statistical population consisted of all female student-teachers at Resalat Campus of Farhangian University in Zahedan. To conduct the study, participants were initially screened based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Then, 30 students with severe anxiety, identified using Beck's Anxiety Inventory, were selected and randomly assigned to two groups: experimental and control, with 15 participants in each group. Participants in both groups completed the Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire developed by Gillanders et al. (2014). The experimental group received eight 90-minute sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (Qamian & Shairi, 2014), while the control group did not receive any treatment. Data were analyzed using one-way ANCOVA with SPSS statistical software.

Findings: The results indicated a significant difference between the two groups in terms of cognitive fusion (P < 0.05). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy led to improvements in cognitive fusion in the experimental group (P < 0.05). These results were sustained during the follow-up phase.

Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, psychologists and university counselors can utilize Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for health-related interventions, particularly for improving cognitive fusion in students.