Masoumeh SALIMI, Abed MAHDAVI, Shahrbanoo Sepehr YEGHANEH, Maryam ABEDIN and Mansoureh HAJHOSSEINI

ABSTRACT

Background: Autism spectrum disorder has a big impact on family life. Mothers of children with autism face many challenges. This study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of group-based acceptance and commitment therapy on cognitive emotion regulation strategies in mothers of children with autism.
Method: This is a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest control group design. The research population included mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder referring to exceptional schools, who were living in Tehran. After cluster random sampling, 30 mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder were selected and randomly assigned to two groups: an experimental group and a control group, each consisting of 15 women. Participants responded to the cognitive emotion regulation questionnaire before and after intervention. The experimental group received group-based acceptance and commitment therapy (eight two-hour sessions), while no intervention was given to the control group.
Results and conclusion: Covariance analysis of data showed that group-based acceptance and commitment therapy had a significant effect on positive/planning strategy refocusing (p=0.003), positive reappraisal (p=0.004), self-blaming (p=0.001), blaming others (p=0.007), considering a situation as disastrous (p=0.001), reception (p=0.008). However, there was not a significant difference in the dimensions of rumination (p=0.025). Therefore, it is recommended that welfare institutions and centers should provide a training plan based on acceptance and commitment therapy to improve the current cognitive emotion regulation strategies for mothers of children with autism spectrum.
Keywords: autism spectrum disorder, therapy based on acceptance and commitment,
cognitive emotion regulation strategies, mothers

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Farhad KAHRAZEE, Bahman Kord TAMINI, Safoora Khoshdel DARYASARI, Abed MAHDAVI, Behzad Rigi KOOTEH and Ali QADIMI

ABSTRACT

This study was conducted to investigate ways of coping with stress, depression and fear of negative social evaluation through comparing wives of addicted and non-addicted men. A causal-comparative research was used by us. Thus, 100 women with addicted husbands referred to addiction centers were selected by simple random sampling method and 100 wives of non-addicted men referred to a health center in Zahedan were selected by available sampling method. They completed the Lazarus–Folkman confrontation methods (1985), Beck depression questionnaire (1971) and Leary’s fear of negative evaluation scale (2004). Findings from Manova analysis show a statistically significant difference between women with addicted husbands and those with non-addicted husbands in emotion-oriented coping style, depression and fear of negative social evaluation, and addicted men’s wives obtained more scores in under listed scales (p > 0/05). Women with non-addicted husbands obtained more scores in problem-focused coping style. Findings show the importance of drug abuse consequences in families’ and couples’ life. Accordingly, practical and theoretical counselling is recommended to reduce damage on family members with addicted problems and provide a supportive atmosphere.
Keywords: coping with stress methods, depression, fear of negative social evaluation, wives of addicted and non-addicted men

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