Abstract
Background and aims: Diabetes is a prevalent chronic condition often associated with emotional distress and difficulties in affective control, which can negatively impact disease management and quality of life. This research investigated the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in improving affective control among individuals with diabetes. Methods: This quasi-experimental study utilized a pre-test, post-test, and follow-up design with a control group. The population included women aged 30–50 with type 2 diabetes, registered with the Ahvaz Diabetes Association in 2023. Thirty participants were recruited via convenience sampling and randomly assigned to an intervention (n=15) or control group (n=15). The intervention group underwent eight weekly 90-minute ACT sessions, while the control group received no intervention. The Affective Control Scale assessed outcomes at three time points, analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA in SPSS version 26. Results: The study demonstrated that ACT significantly reduced negative affect, including anger, depressed mood, and anxiety, while enhancing positive affect in women with type 2 diabetes (P<0.001). The control group showed no significant change in negative affect (pre: 110.33±13.56; post: 113.53±12.90; follow-up: 115.21±13.25; P=0.167) or positive affect (pre: 28.46±8.06; post: 27.20±7.71; follow-up: 25.73±7.36; P=0.143). Conversely, the ACT group exhibited significant reductions in negative affect (pre: 109.26±9.22; post: 86.40±8.60; follow-up: 91.33±13.56; P=0.001) and increases in positive affect (pre: 26.60±3.94; post: 34.60±3.99; follow-up: 33.60±3.86; P=0.001). Between-group differences were significant post-intervention and at follow-up (P=0.001). Conclusion: This study provides evidence that ACT effectively improves emotional well-being in people with diabetes. Specifically, ACT significantly reduced negative emotions like anger, depression, and anxiety, while also increasing positive emotions. These results support the use of ACT for managing emotional challenges associated with chronic health conditions like diabetes.