The Efficacy of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Self-Compassion, Cognitive Flexibility, and InfertilityRelated Stress Among Infertile Women: A QuasiExperimental Study

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

2 Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Ferdowsi University, Mashhad, Iran

3 Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, Islamic Azad University, Ardabil Branch, Ardabil, Iran

4 Department of Psychology and Exceptional Children Education, Islamic Azad University, Urmia Branch, Urmia, Iran

5 Department of Psychology, Ra. C., Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran.

10.34172/jhad.1242

Abstract

Introduction: Infertility significantly impacts women’s psychological well-being, often leading to increased emotional distress and infertility-related stress. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a promising psychological approach that may facilitate adaptive coping mechanisms in this population. This study was conducted to assess whether cognitive flexibility and self-compassion can be effectively improved by ACT while reducing infertility-related stress among infertile women.
Methods: This quasi-experimental study with a control group and pre-test–post-test design included 36 infertile women selected through convenience sampling from infertility centers in Rasht, Iran, in 2024. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups (n = 18 each): a control group and an experimental group. No intervention was provided to the control group, whereas the experimental group participated in weekly ACT sessions (8 sessions, 90 minutes each). The Self-Compassion Scale (SCS), the Cognitive Flexibility Inventory (CFI), and the Fertility Problem Inventory (FPI) were used to collect data. Multivariate Analysis of Covariance was used for statistical analysis in SPSS version 28.
Results: After the intervention, the intervention group showed significant increases in self-compassion and cognitive flexibility and a significant reduction in infertility-related stress compared with the control group (all P < 0.001). MANCOVA confirmed that between-group differences in self-compassion were significant (F = 85.87, η² = 0.73), cognitive flexibility (F = 48.86, η² = 0.61), and infertility-related stress (F = 63.96, η² = 0.67) (all P < 0.001).
Conclusion: ACT is an effective psychological intervention for improving adaptive psychological functioning in infertile women. By fostering self-compassion and cognitive flexibility and mitigating infertility-related stress, ACT can promote emotional adjustment. These results suggest that integrating ACT-based interventions into routine infertility care may yield significant clinical benefits.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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Health and Development Journal
Volume 15
Pages 1-7

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History

  • Receive Date: 22 April 2026
  • Revise Date: 14 July 2026
  • Accept Date: 25 July 2026

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