Effects of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy-Based Counseling in Women Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence

The goal of this clinical trial was to determine the effects of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)-based counseling on emotion regulation difficulties, psychological flexibility, and decision-making styles in women with a history of intimate partner violence. The study included women who sought care at the Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic of a state hospital, had a history of intimate partner violence, met the eligibility criteria, and volunteered to participate. A total of 60 women were assigned to the experimental group (n=30) or control group (n=30) using stratified block randomization. Data were collected using an Individual Information Form, the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale-Short Form, the Psychological Flexibility Scale, and the Melbourne Decision Making Questionnaire. Data were collected from both groups at two time points, as pre-test and post-test assessments, between October 2023 and January 2024. Following the pre-test assessments, participants in the experimental group received six sessions of ACT-based counseling, while participants in the control group received no intervention during the study period. After completion of the intervention, post-test assessments were administered to both groups. The study compared the experimental and control groups to evaluate the effects of ACT-based counseling on emotion regulation difficulties, psychological flexibility, and decision-making styles.