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Volume 24, Issue 146 (4-2025)
Journal of Psychological Science 2025, 24(146): 303-320 |
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Kaboudi M, Zabet M. (2025). Comparing the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy and motivational interviewing on psychological flexibility and parental burnout of mothers of students with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Psychological Science. 24(146), 303-320. doi:10.61186/jps.24.146.17
URL: http://psychologicalscience.ir/article-1-2841-en.html
URL: http://psychologicalscience.ir/article-1-2841-en.html
Department of Educational Sciences, Farhangian Teacher Education University, Tehran, Iran. , razirazi1403@gmail.com
Abstract: (220 Views)
Background: In recent years, the increasing awareness of the psychological challenges faced by parents of children with autism, particularly mothers, has led to greater attention to the needs of this group. In this context, two well-established therapeutic approaches, namely Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Motivational Interviewing, have emerged as tools to support parents and improve their mental health. However, existing research has primarily focused on examining the separate effects of these approaches, revealing significant gaps in the direct comparison of their effectiveness on the psychological flexibility and parental burnout of mothers.
Aims: The purpose of this research was to compare the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy and motivational interviewing on reducing parental burnout and increasing psychological flexibility of mothers with autistic children in 2023-2024.
Methods: The present study was a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test and post-test and a one-month follow-up with a control group. The statistical population of the study consisted of all mothers of children with autism receiving services from the Exceptional Education department in Kermanshah in the academic year 2023-2024. The research sample included 45 eligible mothers, who were purposefully selected and randomly assigned to two experimental groups: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (15 participants) and Motivational Interviewing (15 participants), as well as a control group (15 participants). Data were collected using the Parental Burnout Questionnaire (Rascal et al., 2018) and the Psychological Flexibility Questionnaire (Dennis & VanderWal, 2010). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (Hayes, 1999) was conducted in 8 sessions of 75 minutes each, while Motivational Interviewing (Fielder, 2002) consisted of 10 sessions of 90 minutes each, conducted weekly for the experimental groups. The data were analyzed using mixed analysis of variance with repeated measures in SPSS version 26.
Results: : The results showed that therapy based on acceptance and commitment and motivational interviewing have an effect on improving psychological flexibility and reducing parental burnout (P<0.001). Also, the results showed that treatment based on acceptance and commitment has a greater role in reducing parental burnout(P<0.001) and increasing the psychological flexibility(P<0.020) of mothers with children with autism spectrum disorder than motivational interviewing.
Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that both Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Motivational Interviewing significantly improve psychological flexibility and reduce parental burnout in mothers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. In particular, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy demonstrated significantly greater effectiveness compared to Motivational Interviewing in reducing parental burnout and enhancing psychological flexibility. These results underscore the necessity of designing and implementing ACT-based therapeutic programs for parents of children with autism and can serve as a foundation for the development of clinical and educational interventions in this field.
Aims: The purpose of this research was to compare the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy and motivational interviewing on reducing parental burnout and increasing psychological flexibility of mothers with autistic children in 2023-2024.
Methods: The present study was a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test and post-test and a one-month follow-up with a control group. The statistical population of the study consisted of all mothers of children with autism receiving services from the Exceptional Education department in Kermanshah in the academic year 2023-2024. The research sample included 45 eligible mothers, who were purposefully selected and randomly assigned to two experimental groups: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (15 participants) and Motivational Interviewing (15 participants), as well as a control group (15 participants). Data were collected using the Parental Burnout Questionnaire (Rascal et al., 2018) and the Psychological Flexibility Questionnaire (Dennis & VanderWal, 2010). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (Hayes, 1999) was conducted in 8 sessions of 75 minutes each, while Motivational Interviewing (Fielder, 2002) consisted of 10 sessions of 90 minutes each, conducted weekly for the experimental groups. The data were analyzed using mixed analysis of variance with repeated measures in SPSS version 26.
Results: : The results showed that therapy based on acceptance and commitment and motivational interviewing have an effect on improving psychological flexibility and reducing parental burnout (P<0.001). Also, the results showed that treatment based on acceptance and commitment has a greater role in reducing parental burnout(P<0.001) and increasing the psychological flexibility(P<0.020) of mothers with children with autism spectrum disorder than motivational interviewing.
Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that both Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Motivational Interviewing significantly improve psychological flexibility and reduce parental burnout in mothers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. In particular, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy demonstrated significantly greater effectiveness compared to Motivational Interviewing in reducing parental burnout and enhancing psychological flexibility. These results underscore the necessity of designing and implementing ACT-based therapeutic programs for parents of children with autism and can serve as a foundation for the development of clinical and educational interventions in this field.
Keywords: acceptance and commitment therapy, motivational interviewing, psychological flexibility, parental burnout, autistic children
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Special
Received: 2025/02/19 | Accepted: 2025/04/4 | Published: 2025/04/21
Received: 2025/02/19 | Accepted: 2025/04/4 | Published: 2025/04/21
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This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)