Studying the effectiveness of integrated acceptance and commitment therapy based on compassion on internalized shame and psychological complications caused by hormone therapy in infertile women undergoing hormone therapy in Isfahan.

Abstract

Introduction: Infertility is a major public health challenge that affects a significant portion of the global population. This condition not only has significant physiological consequences, but also has widespread psychological effects such as anxiety, depression, internalized shame, and mood swings, especially in infertile women. Research has shown that women who undergo hormone therapy for infertility often experience significant psychological problems such as anxiety, depression, and irritability. According to recent studies (González-Rodríguez et al., 2020; Rooney & Domar, 2018), these effects may be due to hormonal changes and psychosocial stressors that create new challenges for these women. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of integrated acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT-CFT) on reducing internalized shame and psychological complications caused by hormone therapy in infertile women. Methods: This study was a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test-post-test design with a control group. The statistical population included infertile women in Isfahan in 1402 who were undergoing hormone therapy. Among these individuals, 32 people were purposefully selected and randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups (16 people in each group). The research tools included the Cook Internalized Shame Questionnaire (1993) and a semi-structured interview with infertile women. The experimental group received 10 90-minute sessions of integrated therapy intervention (ACT-CFT) as a group. Meanwhile, the control group did not receive any intervention. After the sessions, the data were analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and SPSS software.
Findings: The results of data analysis showed that the combined treatment (ACT-CFT) significantly reduced internalized shame (P < 0.05) and improved psychological complications caused by hormone therapy in infertile women in the experimental group compared to the control group. The mean scores of internalized shame in the experimental group decreased significantly after the intervention. These changes were striking compared to the control group, which experienced only a slight decrease and natural fluctuations caused by the discontinuation of hormone therapy.
Conclusion: This study shows that the combined intervention of acceptance and commitment based on compassion (ACT-CFT) can be used as an effective treatment method to reduce internalized shame and improve psychological complications caused by hormone therapy in infertile women. It is suggested that this intervention be included as a complementary treatment along with other infertility treatment methods.