The Effect of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Sense of Guilt, Self-blame, and Depression in Mothers of Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Introduction: Autism Disorder (ASD) can greatly burden parents of children with autism. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) training in alleviating the feelings of guilt, self-blame, and depression experienced by mothers who have children with autism. Method: This study had a semi-experimental design with pre-test-post-test and follow-up phases (lasting three months). The target population included all mothers of children with autism spectrum disorders who ۲۷ of them were selected by purposive sampling method among members of the Iranian Autism Association during July to November ۲۰۲۳ in Tehran. Educational interventions based on the ACT approach were provided for eight sessions, each lasting for ۹۰ minutes, with one session per week. The research utilized the Guilt Inventory Questionnaire (GIQ), the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ), and The Beck Depression Inventory-Second Edition (BDI‐ii) as measurement tools. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS version ۲۷ software and multivariate covariance analysis. Results: According to findings, significant variations were observed in the variables of feeling guilty, depression, and self-blame during the pre-test, post-test, and follow-up stages (P<۰.۰۰۱). Conclusion: It appears that using the ACT approach can be beneficial in reducing symptoms and could potentially alleviate feelings of guilt and depression in mothers of children with autism.

Keywords:

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy , guilt , Self-blame , depression , Mothers , autistic children