Clinical Psychology: Research and Practice Innovations

Clinical Psychology: Research and Practice Innovations"

Comparison of the effectiveness of emotion-oriented and acceptance and commitment-based treatments on depression symptoms, irrational thoughts, emotional inhibition and value in life in depressed people.

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
somaye tarikan 1
mohamad ali goodarzi 2
M.R Taghavi, 2
1 Department of Clinical Psychology, Educational Science and psychology Faculty, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.
2 Professor, Department of Clinical Psychology, Educational Science and psychology Faculty, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.
10.22075/jcp.2025.34917.2949
Abstract
Background: The purpose of this research was to compare the effectiveness of emotion-oriented and acceptance-based treatments on depression symptoms, irrational thoughts, emotional inhibition and value in the lives of patients with major depressive disorder.
Method: The research method was a semi-experimental pre-test-post-test type with a control group and the statistical population included all individuals who referred to psychological clinics in Tehran's 5th district during the period 1402. Sampling was done through convenience sampling method after the researcher interviewed the participants and met the diagnostic criteria for major depression based on DSM-5. A total of 60 patients with major depression were selected and randomly assigned to three groups of 20. Research tools included Jones Irrational Beliefs Questionnaire (IBQ-40), Beck Depression Inventory (2nd edition), Emotional Inhibition Questionnaire (ECQ), and Value of Life.
Results: The findings showed that both treatments were effective in improving symptoms of depression, irrational thoughts, emotional inhibition, and the value of life at a significant level (0.001) compared to the control group. However, emotion-focused therapy was more effective in improving depressive symptoms with a mean difference of (1.733), irrational thoughts with a mean difference of (10.167), and emotional inhibition with a mean difference of (9.683) than commitment and acceptance-based therapy, and acceptance and commitment-based therapy was more effective than emotion-focused therapy with a mean difference of (13.983).
Conclusion: The results showed that the two treatment approaches, emotion-focused and acceptance and commitment therapy, target different dimensions of mental health, and acceptance and commitment therapy, at least in the short term, has fewer effects on depressive symptomatology, irrational thoughts, and emotional inhibition, and also has greater effects on the value of life in patients with major depressive disorder.
Keywords
emotion-oriented therapy
therapy based on commitment and acceptance
symptoms of depression
irrational thoughts
emotional inhibition and value in life
Subjects

  1. Sources and references

    1. Sadock B, Sadock V. Summary of psychiatry (behavioral sciences/clinical psychiatry). Translated by Farzin Rezaei. Honorable Publications. 2015. [Persian]. Doi:978-622-257-169-6
    2. Ganji M. Psychopathology according to DSM5. Puran Research Publications. 2016. [Persian].

    Doi:978-622-5863-01-9

    1. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. Danje Publishing. 2022. doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787
    2. Ellis A. Changing rational –emotive therapy to rational emotive behavior therapy. Journal of Rational-Emotive and Cognitive Behavior Therapy. 1995; 13(2): 85-89. doi.org/10.1007/BF02354453
    3. Butler E. Emotional conversations: Canhiding your feeling make you and your partner sick?. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences; 2006.doi.org/10.1037/a00385
    4. Salehi A, Mazaheri Z, Aghajani Z, Jahanbazi B. The role of cognitive emotion regulation strategies in predicting depression. Journal of knowledge and research in applied psychology.2014;1:108-117. [Persian]. Doi:JR-KRAP-16-1-011
    5. Hayes SC. Acceptance and commitment therapy: towards a unified model of behavior change. World

    psychiatry.2019;18(2):226-34. Doi:10.1002/wps.20626

    1. Sobczak L R, West L M. Clinical considerations in using mindfulness-and acceptance-based approaches with diverse populations: Addressing challenges in service delivery in diverse community settings. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice. 2013;20(1):13-22. Doi:10.1016/j.cbpra.2011.08.005
    • Greenberg L S, Watson J C. Emotion-focused therapy for depression. American Psychological Association. 2006. Doi.org/10.1080/14779757.
    1. Vatankhah S, Bakhshipour Roodsari A, Hashemi Nosratabad T, Shalchi B. The Effectiveness of Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) on Body Image Dissatisfaction, Cognitive Emotion Regulation and Impulsivity in Women with Bulimia Nervosa: A Single Case Study. Journal of Clinical Psychology.2025; 17(1): 1-19. [Persian]. Dio:10.22075/jcp.2025.36949.3133
    2. Dafeian F, Choobforoushzadeh A. Comparing the Effectiveness of Affect Phobia Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on the Emotional Self-awareness and Perception of Suffering in Patients with Chronic Pain Disorders. Journal of Clinical Psychology. 2024; 15(4): 1-14. [Persian]. Doi:10.22075/JCP. 2024. 32896.2816
    3. Caletti E, Massimo C, Magliocca S. The role of the acceptance and commitment therapy in the treatment of social anxiety: An Affective Disorder, In Press, Journal Pre-proof. 2022; 310: 174-182. Doi:10.1016/j.jad.2022.05.008
    4. Golestanifar S. The effectiveness of treatment based on acceptance and commitment on depression, psychological health and life expectancy of the elderly with non-clinical depression. Psychology of Aging.2019;6(3):203-191.[Persian] Doi:10.52547/jrums.20.3.297
    5. Yalom E. Theory and practice in group psychotherapy. Translated by Bahram Ali Ghanbari Hashem Abadi. Mashhad: To be published. 1390. Doi:9781541617575.
    6. Beck A, Steer R A, Ball R. Comparison of Beck Depression Inventories-IA and-II in psychiatric outpatients. Journal of Personality Assessment, 1996; 67(3): 588-597. Doi:10.1207/s15327752jpa6703_13
    7. Dobson K, Mohammadkhani P. Psychometric coordinates of Beck-2 depression questionnaire in a large sample of patients with major depressive disorder. Journal of Rehabilitation. 1386; 8(29): 80-86.Doi: 1-135-fa.html
    8. Jones R G. A factored measure of Ellis' irrational belief system with personality and maladjustment correlates (Doctoral dissertation, Texas Tech University). 1968.Doi: 3 1295 00509 0260
    9. Ebadi G, Motamedin M. Examining the factorial structure of the Jones Irrational Beliefs Test in Ahvaz city, Knowledge and Research in Psychology. 2006; 23: 92-73. [Persian]. Doi: 469696/fa.
    10. Roger D, Najarian B. The construction and validation of a new scale for measuring emotion control. Journal of Personal & Individ Differ.1989; (10): 845-853. Doi:10.1016/0191-8869(87)90215-7
    11. Yaghobi P. Investigating the Relationship between emotion expression styles and control attribution style in homemade violence against women with the role of gender stereotypes [dissertation]. Kharazmi University Publications. 2014. [Persian].Doi: export/10869746-52176
    12. Akbari M. Examining the validity and reliability of the Persian version of the Valuable Life Questionnaire: based on the commitment and acceptance approach. Clinical psychology and personality-former behavioral scientist. 2017; 16 (1):239-249. [Persian] Dio:10.22070/cpap.2020.2851
    13. Asmari Y, Dana M D, Thabit H. The effectiveness of emotion-focused therapy on depression and anxiety in women with binge eating disorder should refer to Sinai Hospital. Navid No Quarterly. 2017; 21(65): 11-22. [Persian] Dio:CIPSA06_313
    14. Gili SH, Sadeghi Firouzabadi V, Haqhayegh A, Qavidel A. Comparing the effectiveness of excitatory therapy and transcranial direct electrical stimulation therapy on anxiety and depression in coronary heart disease. Scientific Journal of Health Psychology.2019; 4(36): 45-62. [Persian].

    Doi:10.30473/hpj.2021.53189.4834

    1. Thanagovi Mehvar G R, Shirazi M, Mohammadi R, Maghsoodlou F. The effectiveness of emotion-oriented therapy on reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression in patients with multiple sclerosis. Mashhad University Medical Journal. 2018; 61,190-200. [Persian]. Doi:10.22038/mjms.2019.14605
    2. Mahmudondi Baher E, Phalsafinejad M, Khodabakhshi Kolayi A. Effectiveness of emotional group therapy on hope and negative spontaneous thoughts of divorced women. Journal of Social Health. 2016; 5(1): 67-76. [Persian].

    https://doi.org/10.22037/ch.v5i1.19218

    1. Jacobs H, Grillet B, Bacquer D. The Hypersensitivity, alexithymia and disease characteristics of patients presenting with symptoms of fibromyalgia. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. 2018; 77, 461. Doi:10.1136/annrheumdis-2018-eular.5754
    2. Jalili A, Arab Shibani K. The effectiveness of emotion-oriented therapy on emotional ataxia, depression, mental health and sexual performance of couples on the verge of divorce who refer to health centers in Tehran. Master's thesis in the field of psychology. Payam Noor University, Firdous Center Publications. 1400. [Persian]
    3. Ruiz FJ. A review of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) empirical evidence: correlational, experimental psychopathology, component and outcome studies. International Journal of Psychology and Psychological Therapy. 2010;10(1):125-162. doi.org/10.1002/9781118877142

  • Receive Date 31 July 2024
  • Revise Date 17 December 2025
  • Accept Date 28 June 2025
  • First Publish Date 21 March 2026
  • Publish Date 21 March 2026