Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Psychological Distress and Rumination among Colostomy Patients

Background and Aim: The most common conditions leading to a stoma (abdominal surgery) include bowel cancer and inflammatory diseases. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on psychological distress and rumination among colostomy patients. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted based on a pretest-posttest control group design and follow-up. The statistical population of this study included colostomy patients referring to the psychosomatic ward of Imam Khomeini hospital in Sari, Iran, 2019. The samples (n=50) were selected using the convenience sampling method and inclusion and exclusion criteria and divided into experimental and control groups (n=25 each). The experimental group received training in eight 120-minute sessions weekly. The required data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, the Psychological Distress Scale, and the Ruminative Response Questionnaire and analyzed in SPSS software (version 22) using covariance analysis. The significance level of the tests was 0.05. Results: The results of this study showed that ACT was effective on psychological distress and rumination in colostomy patients (P 0.001 and P 0.001, respectively). Conclusion: Considering the positive effect of ACT on psychological distress and rumination of colostomy patients, it is recommended to use these capacities and training in planning mental health programs, especially in colostomy patients.