The Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Sexual Anxiety, Sexual Self-Disclosure, and Sexual Satisfaction in Women
Keywords:
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, sexual anxiety, sexual self-disclosure, sexual satisfaction, womenAbstract
Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on sexual anxiety, sexual self-disclosure, and sexual satisfaction among women referring to counseling centers.
Methods and Materials: The present study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pretest–posttest structure, including a control group and a follow-up phase. The statistical population consisted of women referring to counseling centers in Sabzevar in 2022. A total of 45 participants were selected through convenience sampling based on the inclusion criteria and randomly assigned to two experimental groups (15 participants in each group) and one control group (15 participants). Data collection instruments included the Index of Sexual Satisfaction (ISS), the Sexual Anxiety Questionnaire, and the Sexual Self-Disclosure Scale for spouses. The intervention consisted of eight 90-minute sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy conducted in group format. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance and Bonferroni post hoc tests in IBM SPSS Statistics software.
Findings: The findings demonstrated significant differences between the experimental and control groups in sexual anxiety (F = 11.69, p < .001), sexual self-disclosure (F = 8.46, p < .001), and sexual satisfaction (F = 20.21, p < .001). Significant time effects and group × time interaction effects were also observed across the three measurement stages. Bonferroni post hoc comparisons indicated that sexual anxiety significantly decreased from pretest to posttest and follow-up, whereas sexual self-disclosure and sexual satisfaction significantly increased in the experimental group. The absence of significant differences between posttest and follow-up stages suggested that the therapeutic effects remained stable over time.
Conclusion: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy was effective in reducing sexual anxiety and improving sexual self-disclosure and sexual satisfaction among women. The findings suggest that ACT may enhance women’s psychological flexibility, emotional openness, and relational functioning, thereby contributing to improved sexual well-being and marital intimacy. Accordingly, ACT may be considered an effective therapeutic approach for use in counseling centers and sexual health interventions for women.
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