Comparing the Effectiveness and Durability of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on Dimensions of Resilience in Orphaned and Neglected Children

Document Type : qualitative and quantitative studies

Authors

1 PhD Student in Psychology, Department of Psychology, Ard.C, Islamic Azad University, Ardabil, Iran.

2 Department of Psychology, Ard.C, Islamic Azad University, Ardabil, Iran

10.22098/jpc.2026.20768.1403

Abstract

This study aimed to compare the effectiveness and durability of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on dimensions of resilience among orphaned and neglected children. This applied, quantitative, quasi-experimental study used a pretest–posttest–follow-up design with a control group. The sample consisted of 60 orphaned and neglected children aged 14 to 18 in the city of Ardabil, selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned to two experimental groups and one control group. The first experimental group received ten sessions of ACT, and the second experimental group received eight sessions of MBSR, while the control group received no intervention. The research instrument was the standardized Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (2003), and data were analyzed using MANCOVA and Bonferroni post hoc tests. Results: Findings showed that both interventions produced a significant increase in the total resilience score and all five of its (p < .001), while the control group showed no significant change. Differences between the two experimental groups were not significant on any component, although the descriptive trend of the data showed a relative advantage for ACT on most components. The improvement achieved in both groups was maintained at follow-up, and the difference between posttest and follow-up was not significant for any component. Conclusion: Both Therapies are effective and durable interventions for promoting resilience in orphaned and neglected children, with no significant superiority of one over the other; therefore, the choice between the two approaches can be based on implementation conditions, the resources available to residential care centers, and children's preferences.

Keywords

Preventive Counseling
Volume 7, Issue 4
October 2026

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