Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Reducing Interference and Improving Verbal and Visual Working Memory in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

AbstractIntroduction: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a disease possibly leading to increased interference and difficulty in verbal and visual working memory. The present research attempted to investigate whether Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) would affect interference as well as the verbal and visual working memory of MS patients.Method: This study was a quasi-experimental research with a pretest-posttest and a control group. The statistical population included all the MS patients referring to Ahvaz MS Society in ۲۰۱۹ A total of ۳۰ patients were selected through purposive sampling and were randomly divided into experimental and control groups (each containing ۱۵ individuals). The subjects were then examined using the Stroop Test and Wechsler Memory Scale-III. The data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance.Results: The results showed a significant difference between the two groups in terms of interference (F= ۷.۴۸, P≤ ۰.۰۱), verbal working memory (F= ۲۴.۶۹, P≤ ۰.۰۰۱), and visual working memory (F= ۲۲.۸۲, P≤ ۰.۰۰۱).Conclusion: This study highlighted how effective ACT was on interference and working memory of MS patients. Thus, clinical MS specialists can use this treatment for their patients to optimize care.

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Keywords: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy , Multiple Sclerosis , verbal working memory , Visual Working Memory