Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in Pain Control in Multiple Sclerotic Women

Background: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is one of the most common chronic diseases of the central nervous system. This disease can deeply affect patient&rsquo;s occupational and social activities. The goal of this psychological intervention is to help these people cope up correctly and efficiently with the challenges posed by this disease. Objectives: This paper aims to investigate the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in pain control in a group of women with multiple sclerosis. Materials & Methods: The present controlled semi-experimental study was conducted on a statistical population of women with MS in the Sari MS society during 2014-2015. Eighteen subjects were selected using the convenience sampling and assigned to either control or the experimental group. The experimental group was treated by ACT for 8 weeks (weekly 2 hours). Before the treatment, just after the treatment completion and, after one and a half months of the follow-up period, the assessment was performed. Experimental group data collection tools comprised of the Nicholas&rsquo; Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ). Statistical covariance tests were used to analyze the results in the SPSS software version 16. Results: Pain control received the higher scores in the experimental group as compared to the controls (P<0.001, F(1, 11)=26.53). This finding remained true during the follow-up period (P<0.001, F(1, 11)=56.55). Conclusion: The results confirmed the effectiveness of ACT in the pain control in women with MS, and this would help to broaden the horizon of the clinical interventions.