Volume 31, Issue 1 (3-2024)
RJMS 2024, 31(1): 1-11 |
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Research code: 0
Ethics code: IR.IAU.SHIRAZ.REC.1402.195
Clinical trials code: 0
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Moradi S, Samani S, Mozafari M, Omidvar B. The Effectiveness of a Treatment Package based on Commitment and Acceptance on the Hope Level of Mothers with Mentally Retarded Children. RJMS 2024; 31 (1) :1-11
URL: http://rjms.iums.ac.ir/article-1-8743-en.html
URL: http://rjms.iums.ac.ir/article-1-8743-en.html
Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Shiraz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shiraz, Iran , siamaksamani@iau.ac.ir
Abstract: (229 Views)
Background & Aims: The existence of a mentally retarded child in a family is considered a kind of crisis. Their parents suffer a lot of stress and psychological pressure when they find out about their child's disability. Therefore, families of disabled children may experience psychological stress, social isolation and mental health problems in various ways. There are several evidences that show that parents of mentally retarded children face social, economic and emotional problems that are often limiting, destructive and pervasive in nature. Taking care of a disabled child with special needs is heavy and stressful for all family members, and the most pressure is on the mother of the family, who spends most of the time caring for the child and interacting with her. One of the most important reasons why mothers are more vulnerable than other family members is that mothers spend more time with children and their presence in the home and family environment is much more than that of fathers. Also, the mother's effort to teach new skills and curb their child's inappropriate behavior usually does not achieve the desired result, so accepting and adapting to this reality requires more effort for mothers compared to normal children. The presence of a child with mental disability in any family can be considered an undesirable and challenging event; Since parents expect a healthy child with normal characteristics before the birth of their child, the birth of a mentally retarded child causes parents to feel guilt and blame, failure and deprivation caused by the child's abnormality. The birth of a mentally retarded child causes more pressure within the family system and endangers the cohesion and compatibility within the family system, and as a result, increases the possibility of family dysfunction. The birth of a mentally disabled child affects the mental health of family members and can often lead to negative consequences, including an increase in physical illnesses such as chronic pain and mental disorders such as depression and anxiety. This may cause adverse consequences for all family members and threaten the compromise, physical and mental health of parents, especially mothers. The person who is most under the pressure of the existence of a mentally retarded child and suffers the most damage is the mother of the family; For this reason, compared to mothers of normal children, mothers of mentally retarded children feel more shame, embarrassment and anxiety and experience a lower level of general health and psychological well-being, marital satisfaction, self-esteem and self-control. On the other hand, worrying about parenting methods or lack of knowledge in this field affects the coping skills and mental health of mothers and increases their psychological problems. This problem can lead to the bad functioning of the family system and generally inappropriate parenting. The child's behavioral problem is more stressful for the family and especially the mother than the child's disability itself. The possible reason for this is that mothers are more involved with the child's problems and are under more pressure. The mothers of these children do not treat them properly because of their children's behavioral problems, and this problem also aggravates their disorder. On the other hand, parents lose their health over time in different dimensions and cannot interact constructively with their child. The different reactions of the mother are due to the various failures resulting from the special behaviors of the disabled child. This feeling of failure results in a kind of dual attitude towards the child, which may vary from high acceptance to complete rejection. This study was conducted with the aim of investigating the effectiveness of a treatment package based on commitment and acceptance on the level of hope of mothers with mentally retarded children.
Methods: In the qualitative part of this research, in terms of fundamental and practical purpose, it was a mixed-exploratory type of research. The population studied in the qualitative part of the research included Persian and English specialized books and articles in the field of treatment based on commitment and acceptance of mothers with mentally retarded children in the last 20 years, which were selected by purposeful sampling. Finally, the treatment intervention based on commitment and acceptance was formulated in 10 sessions and its formal and content validity was confirmed by experts. The study method was in the quantitative part and based on the data collection method, it was a semi-experimental pre-test-post-test-follow-up type with a control group. The statistical population included all mothers with mentally retarded children between the ages of 20 and 50 who referred to the education and rehabilitation centers for mentally retarded children in Tehran in the second half of 2022. Among them, 30 people were selected based on the entry criteria and using targeted sampling and randomly assigned to two groups of 15 people (experimental group and control group). The treatment intervention based on commitment and acceptance was implemented for all mothers with mentally retarded children in 10 sessions of 90 minutes, and the control group was placed on the waiting list. Research tools included self-compassion scale, life expectancy questionnaire and acceptance and action questionnaire. The data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of covariance in SPSS version 23.
Results: The results showed that there was a significant difference between the experimental group and the control group in the post-test and follow-up stages; And the treatment intervention based on commitment and acceptance has increased the hope level of mothers with mentally retarded children, and the effect of this treatment intervention has been stable in the follow-up phase (P<0.5).
Conclusion: With these explanations, it is necessary to understand the concept of hope for the future from a practical point of view for mothers with intellectually disabled children. Life expectancy can be an effective tool for the mother to fight and overcome mild mood disorders, anxiety, lack of enthusiasm, and lack of desire, and states caused by feelings of helplessness, belongingness, and indecision. The more these mothers have a vision for the future, the more they hope to overcome problems such as anxiety and stress. Therefore, it can be said that the vision of the future can play an important role in their flexibility and adaptability by influencing the level of hope of mothers against negative effects in stressful situations. Molded cognitions in fear of the future or imagining the past cause mothers to become inflexible and avoid accepting their mental processes; Therefore, considering the role of psychological flexibility in the hope levels of these mothers, the underlying reasons for changing their flexibility are very important. It seems that the decrease in the hope level scores in the mothers of mentally retarded children, which occurs due to despair and lack of goal setting in the future, by placing the deceased mother and not being present in the present, causes a decrease in the acceptance of current events and as a result, a decrease in psychological flexibility in her. Therefore, therapy based on commitment and acceptance can help improve the hope levels of these mothers. This approach is one of the most recent theories to explain flexibility, which has also led to new-generation treatments. Conscious attention to the present and the process of acceptance, in addition to the processes of committed action and behavior change, fosters psychological flexibility. In this approach, psychological flexibility is affected by accepting committed action. Accepting and acting towards specific goals and values requires a stronger motivation that keeps the mother hopeful in life. Lack of motivation caused by aimlessness in life can be the most underlying factor of all cognitive processes, including mental acceptance and flexibility. In fact, the mother's efforts to achieve goals and points in the future can affect her progress. Based on the results of the present study, treatment intervention based on commitment and acceptance can be effective for improving the hope level of mothers with intellectually disabled children; and it is recommended that therapists and counselors use this treatment along with other therapeutic interventions in order to improve the hope level of these mothers.
Methods: In the qualitative part of this research, in terms of fundamental and practical purpose, it was a mixed-exploratory type of research. The population studied in the qualitative part of the research included Persian and English specialized books and articles in the field of treatment based on commitment and acceptance of mothers with mentally retarded children in the last 20 years, which were selected by purposeful sampling. Finally, the treatment intervention based on commitment and acceptance was formulated in 10 sessions and its formal and content validity was confirmed by experts. The study method was in the quantitative part and based on the data collection method, it was a semi-experimental pre-test-post-test-follow-up type with a control group. The statistical population included all mothers with mentally retarded children between the ages of 20 and 50 who referred to the education and rehabilitation centers for mentally retarded children in Tehran in the second half of 2022. Among them, 30 people were selected based on the entry criteria and using targeted sampling and randomly assigned to two groups of 15 people (experimental group and control group). The treatment intervention based on commitment and acceptance was implemented for all mothers with mentally retarded children in 10 sessions of 90 minutes, and the control group was placed on the waiting list. Research tools included self-compassion scale, life expectancy questionnaire and acceptance and action questionnaire. The data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of covariance in SPSS version 23.
Results: The results showed that there was a significant difference between the experimental group and the control group in the post-test and follow-up stages; And the treatment intervention based on commitment and acceptance has increased the hope level of mothers with mentally retarded children, and the effect of this treatment intervention has been stable in the follow-up phase (P<0.5).
Conclusion: With these explanations, it is necessary to understand the concept of hope for the future from a practical point of view for mothers with intellectually disabled children. Life expectancy can be an effective tool for the mother to fight and overcome mild mood disorders, anxiety, lack of enthusiasm, and lack of desire, and states caused by feelings of helplessness, belongingness, and indecision. The more these mothers have a vision for the future, the more they hope to overcome problems such as anxiety and stress. Therefore, it can be said that the vision of the future can play an important role in their flexibility and adaptability by influencing the level of hope of mothers against negative effects in stressful situations. Molded cognitions in fear of the future or imagining the past cause mothers to become inflexible and avoid accepting their mental processes; Therefore, considering the role of psychological flexibility in the hope levels of these mothers, the underlying reasons for changing their flexibility are very important. It seems that the decrease in the hope level scores in the mothers of mentally retarded children, which occurs due to despair and lack of goal setting in the future, by placing the deceased mother and not being present in the present, causes a decrease in the acceptance of current events and as a result, a decrease in psychological flexibility in her. Therefore, therapy based on commitment and acceptance can help improve the hope levels of these mothers. This approach is one of the most recent theories to explain flexibility, which has also led to new-generation treatments. Conscious attention to the present and the process of acceptance, in addition to the processes of committed action and behavior change, fosters psychological flexibility. In this approach, psychological flexibility is affected by accepting committed action. Accepting and acting towards specific goals and values requires a stronger motivation that keeps the mother hopeful in life. Lack of motivation caused by aimlessness in life can be the most underlying factor of all cognitive processes, including mental acceptance and flexibility. In fact, the mother's efforts to achieve goals and points in the future can affect her progress. Based on the results of the present study, treatment intervention based on commitment and acceptance can be effective for improving the hope level of mothers with intellectually disabled children; and it is recommended that therapists and counselors use this treatment along with other therapeutic interventions in order to improve the hope level of these mothers.
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Clinical Psychiatry
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