The Efficacy of ACT on Psychological Well- Being and Optimism of Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Background: Despite the high prevalence and marked symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), its cause is still not known. It seems that psychological factors play a significant role in the development and intensification of the symptoms of the disease, but there is still no definitive treatment for this disease.  The purpose of the present study was to determine the effectiveness of admission and commitment therapy (ACT) on the psychological well-being and optimism of patients with IBS.

Methods: This study was conducted with a quasi-experimental and pretest-posttest design, control group, and follow-up period. The statistical population of this study included people with IBS referring to health centers in Tehran, Iran, in 2018.  The study sample consisted of 60 individuals who were selected by through convenience sampling method and were divided into two groups (n =30 people). The subjects were randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups. The data collection tools were the Ryff Scales of Psychological Well-Being Scale (RSPWB) (Ryff, 1989), and the Life Orientation Test (LOT) (Scheier, Carver & Bridges, 1994). First, the pretest was performed in both groups. The experimental group was then placed in a test group for 9 sessions (90 minutes). The collected data were analyzed using multivariate covariance analysis (MANCOVA) and one-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA).

Results: The results show that ACT was effective on the psychological well-being and optimism of patients with IBS.

Conclusion: It can be concluded that interventions based on the acceptance and commitment approach help to improve the optimism of people with IBS.