Objective: Psychological distress, low pain acceptance, and high pain intensity are common challenges among patients with sciatica. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) on psychological distress, pain acceptance, and pain intensity in individuals with sciatica.
Method: This semi-experimental study followed a pretest-posttest design with a control group. The statistical population consisted of individuals with sciatica who visited a physiotherapy center in Shahrood in 2024. A total of 45 participants were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to two experimental groups and one control group. The first experimental group received ACT, the second received DBT, and the control group received no intervention during the study. Research instruments included the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21) by Lovibond & Lovibond (1995), the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (AAQ-II) by Bond (2011), and the McGill Pain Questionnaire (1997). Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) via SPSS-26.
Results: Findings revealed that both ACT and DBT significantly reduced psychological distress (F=35.42), increased pain acceptance (F=63.32), and decreased pain intensity (F=32.81) in patients with sciatica (p<0.05). However, there were no significant differences between the two interventions in terms of their effectiveness on the measured outcomes (p>0.05).
Conclusion: Based on the findings, both ACT and DBT effectively reduced experiential avoidance, leading to decreased psychological distress and pain intensity, improved pain acceptance, and enhanced daily functioning in patients with sciatica.