The effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and existential therapy on the psychological well-being of female students with generalized anxiety disorder

Merati, Alireza; Sharif, Zohreh; Yousefvand, Mehdi

doi:10.22075/jcp.2025.34434.2913

The effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and existential therapy on the psychological well-being of female students with generalized anxiety disorder

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Faculty member of Payam Noor University

² Department of Psychology, Borujerd Branch, Islamic Azad University, Borujerd, Iran.

³ Borujerd Branch, Islamic Azad University, Borujerd, Iran

10.22075/jcp.2025.34434.2913

Abstract

Introduction: This comparative study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and existential therapy on the psychological well-being of female students with generalized anxiety disorder.
Methods: The method of study was quasi-experimental with a control group. The statistical population included all the female students of the second-grade high schools in the district 1 of Karaj in 2023-2024. Forty-five people were randomly selected as samples and divided into three experimental and control groups. The fourth edition of the generalized anxiety disorder questionnaire and the psychological well-being test were used to collect data. The experimental groups received ACT and existential therapy during 10 sessions. Data were analyzed using mixed analysis of variance and Bonferroni's post hoc test.
Results: ACT and existential therapy increase psychological well-being (P<0.01). The existential therapy effect was greater than other method (P<0.01). The 2-month follow-up results revealed the stability of the interventions (P<0.01).
Conclusion: Both methods are effective in increasing psychological well-being. Thus, it is recommended that existential therapy be used by clinical therapists and experts in treatment centers for people with generalized anxiety disorder.

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