The Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Anxiety Sensitivity and Alexithymia of Nurses with Chronic Low Back Pain

Abstract Introduction: Musculoskeletal discomforts are the most common occupational diseases of nurses. In this context, the present study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy on anxiety sensitivity and alexithymia in nurses with chronic low back pain. Methods: The present research method was semi-experimental and its design was pre-test-post-test with the control group. The study's statistical population included nurses suffering from chronic low back pain in Tehran in 2019. The study sample includes 30 nurses with low back pain who were selected using the available sampling method and randomly assigned to two experimental groups and a control group. The collection tool included anxiety sensitivity and alexithymia questionnaires. The experimental group received eight 90-minute sessions of therapy based on acceptance and commitment, but the control group did not receive any intervention. Results: The results of the present study showed that treatment based on acceptance and commitment in nurses with chronic low back pain significantly reduces anxiety sensitivity (physical, cognitive and social) and alexithymia (difficulty in identifying emotions, difficulty in describing emotions, and external thinking) (P< 0.01). Conclusion: Based on the findings, it can be concluded that treatment based on acceptance and commitment has been able to reduce the psychological problems of nurses with chronic low back pain. For this purpose, it is suggested to hold workshops and programs by psychologists and pain specialists for nurses with chronic low back pain.   Conflict of interest: The authors declared that there is no conflict of interest.