The Effect of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Improvement of Quality of life in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

Background and Objective: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease of the central nervous system, which leads to a decrease in the quality of life due to its physical symptoms and psychological consequences. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on improving the quality of life of patients with Multiple Sclerosis. Materials and Methods:The research method was semi-experimental using pretest-posttest and comparing with the control group. The study population consisted of all members of Shirvan city multiple sclerosis association (N=50) in 2017. The sample consisted of 26 volunteers who were randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups (for each group 10 subject). Data gathering instrument was Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life-54 (MSQOL-54) questionnaire completed by the both groups before and after the intervention. Experiment group participated in 8 sessions of ACT and the control group did not receive any intervention. Covariance analysis method was used to analyze data. All analyzes were performed using SPSS-24. Results: ACT had a significant effect on improving the quality of life and dimensions of physical and mental health in the experimental group (p<0.001). Conclusion: ACT improved the quality of life in MS patients; therefore, it is suggested to use ACT to improve the quality of life of patients with MS in addition to medical treatments.