The effectiveness of counseling based on acceptance and commitment therapy on body image and self-esteem in polycystic ovary syndrome: An RCT

Fatemeh Moradi; Akram Ghadiri-Anari; Ali Dehghani; Seyed Reza Vaziri; Behnaz Enjezab

doi:10.18502/ijrm.v13i4.6887

The effectiveness of counseling based on acceptance and commitment therapy on body image and self-esteem in polycystic ovary syndrome: An RCT

Int J Reprod Biomed. 2020 Apr 30;18(4):243-252. doi: 10.18502/ijrm.v13i4.6887. eCollection 2020 Apr.

Authors

Fatemeh Moradi¹, Akram Ghadiri-Anari², Ali Dehghani³, Seyed Reza Vaziri⁴, Behnaz Enjezab⁵

Affiliations

¹ Student Research Committee, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.
² Department of Internal Medicine, Diabetes Research Center, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.
³ Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Public Health School, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.
⁴ Clinical Psychologist, Private Counseling Center of Negaresh, Yazd, Iran.
⁵ Department of Midwifery, Research Center for Nursing and Midwifery Care, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.

Abstract

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine and metabolic disorders known with irregular menstruation, hirsutism, alopecia, obesity, infertility, and acne. These symptoms cause a negative effect on the satisfaction of body image, self-esteem, and quality of life in such patients. Recent studies emphasize the need to consider the psychological problems in these women and also the need for appropriate interventions.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of group counseling based on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on body image and self-esteem in patients with PCOS.

Materials and methods: In this randomized controlled trial, 52 women with PCOS were randomly allocated to intervention and control groups (n = 26/each) using the table of random numbers. Group counseling based on the ACT was held in eight sessions of 90 min once a week for the intervention group. The demographic questionnaire, Littleton development of the body image concern inventory and Rosenberg self-esteem scale were completed in both groups before, immediately after, and one month after the intervention.

Results: The mean scores of body image concern (p = 0.001) and self-esteem (p $\leq$ 0.001) in the intervention group after the intervention and follow-up were significantly different from the control group.

Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, use of cognitive-behavioral therapies in health care centers is recommended as a complementary method.

Keywords: Body image; Cognitive behavior therapies.; Polycystic ovary syndrome; Self-esteem; Acceptance and commitment therapy.