Rooyesh-e- Ravanshenasi Journal(RRJ)

The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy on anxiety, internalized shame, and sexual function in women with pregnancy anxiety. The research method was a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test-post-test and control group. The statistical population of the study consisted of all women with pregnancy anxiety who referred to medical centers and obstetricians in Qom in 1402. Of these, 30 were selected conveniently and randomly assigned to two groups of 15: experimental and control. Data collection tools included the Cook Internalized Shame Scale (1993, ISS), the Rosen Sexual Function Questionnaire (1997, FSFI), and the Pennsylvania State Worry Scale (1990, PSWQ). The experimental group received 8 120-minute sessions of acceptance and commitment therapy. The collected data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance. The findings showed that by controlling for the pre-test effect, there was a significant difference between the mean post-test scores of the experimental and control groups in anxiety, internalized shame, and sexual function (p<0.05). From the above findings, it can be concluded that acceptance and commitment therapy was effective on anxiety, internalized shame, and sexual function in women with pregnancy anxiety.