Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1
PhD Candidate in Educational Psychology, Ard.C., Islamic Azad University, Ardabil, Iran
2
Professor, Department of Counseling, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran
3
Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Ard.C., Islamic Azad University, Ardabil, Iran
4
4. Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Ard.C., Islamic Azad University, Ardabil, Iran
10.30471/psy.2025.11310.2355
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to assess the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on attachment to God in high school students exhibiting self-injurious behaviors. This was a quasi-experimental study with a repeated measures design and a control group. The study population comprised all secondary school students in the second cycle of Parsabad City (5,851 students) during the academic year 2023-2024. After screening with the Self-Injury Questionnaire, 40 participants were selected and matched (20 in the experimental group, 20 in the control group). Data were collected using the Self-Injury Questionnaire (Sanson et al., 2008) and the Attachment to God Inventory (Beck & McDonald, 2004). The intervention consisted of 8 group therapy sessions, each lasting 90 minutes, held twice a week over the course of one month for the experimental group. Repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used for data analysis. The results revealed significant differences between the groups in attachment to God at pre-test, post-test, and follow-up (p<0.01), and the effects of ACT were maintained during the follow-up period (p<0.01). In conclusion, ACT was found to be an effective intervention for enhancing attachment to God in high school students with self-injurious behaviors.
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