The Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment-Based Group Therapy (ACGT) on Metacognitive beliefs and Adherence to treatment in Patients with Multiple sclerosis

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis is a central nervous system disorder that presents significant psychological challenges for patients worldwide. In such cases, psychological interventions can offer valuable assistance. Therefore, one of the objectives of this study was to assess the impact of Acceptance and Commitment-Based Group Therapy (ACGT) on metacognitive beliefs and treatment adherence in individuals with multiple sclerosis residing in Ahvaz, Iran, in 2020. A purposive sampling method was employed, with 30 participants selected and randomly assigned to an experimental group and a control group, each consisting of 15 individuals. Data collection involved the use of the Metacognitive Beliefs questionnaire developed by Wells & Cartwright-Hatton (2004) and the Adherence to Treatment questionnaire by Seyyed Fatemi et al. (2018). This quasi-experimental study followed a pre-test, post-test, and follow-up design, including a control group. The experimental group participated in an eight-session, 90-minute Acceptance and Commitment-Based Group Therapy (ACGT), while the control group received no treatment. Data analysis was performed using analysis of covariance. The results demonstrated the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment-based group therapy (ACGT) in improving metacognitive beliefs and enhancing treatment adherence in individuals with multiple sclerosis (p < .01). Based on these findings, it can be concluded that this treatment approach can be beneficial for enhancing metacognitive beliefs and promoting treatment adherence in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Keywords

• multiple sclerosis
• metacognitive beliefs
• adherence to treatment
• acceptance and commitment-based group therapy