Effectiveness of Psychological Flexibility Training based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Emotional Burn Out and Emotional Labor among Nurses Working at Hospitals in Ahvaz, Iran

Abstract

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of psychological flexibility training based on acceptance and commitment therapy on emotional burnout and emotional labor among nurses working at hospitals in Ahvaz, Iran. Materials & Methods: This semi-experimental was conducted based on a pretest-posttest design and a control group. The study population included all nurses working at hospitals in Ahvaz, Iran, during 2019. In total, 40 nurses were selected using the purposeful sampling method based on the inclusion criteria and were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The participants in both groups were requested to respond to the Maslach burnout inventory and the Diefendorff et al. emotional labor scale before and after the intervention. The experimental group participated in three sessions of psychological flexibility training based on acceptance and commitment therapy. On the other hand, the control group awaited for the intervention. The data were analyzed using a multivariate analysis of covariance. Ethics code: EE/97.24.3.17688/SCU.AC.IR Findings: The results of the data analysis showed a significant difference between the two groups in terms of emotional burn out (F=223.014, P=0.001) and emotional labor (F=273.731, P=0.001). Discussions & Conclusions: Based on the findings, it can be stated that psychological flexibility training based on acceptance and commitment therapy can be used to reduce emotional burnout and emotional labor among nurses.

Keywords

• acceptance and commitment therapy
• emotional exhaustion
• emotional labor psychological flexibility