Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Intolerance of Uncertainty, Experiential Avoidance, and Symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder in Individuals with Type II Diabetes

Aims: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on intolerance of uncertainty (IU), experiential avoidance (EA), and symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in individuals with type II diabetes. Materials and Methods: This study was quasi‑experimental study with pretest/posttest design. In this study, 24 individuals with type II diabetes were selected by convenience sampling method and then randomly designed into two experimental and control groups. The experimental group participated in eight sessions of ACT, while the control group was not in any treatment. The participants completed GAD 7‑item scale, Penn State Worry Questionnaire, IU scale, and Acceptance and Action Questionnaire‑II. Data were analyzed by multivariate analysis of covariance. The significance level was 0.05. Results: The findings showed that ACT decreased the IU, EA, and symptoms of GAD in an individual with type II diabetes (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The results showed that ACT might be an efficient way to decrease the IU, EA, and symptoms of GAD in an individual with type II diabetes. Furthermore, therapists can use this therapeutic approach for decreasing IU, EA, and symptoms of GAD in the individual with type II diabetes.