Comparison of the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment group therapy (ACT) and Compassion-Focused group therapy (CFT) on the psychological well-being of employed mothers

Comparing the effectiveness of group-based acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and compassion-focused therapy (CFT) on psychological distress, work-family conflict, parenting stress, and quality of life in working mothers

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

IRCT

Registry ID

IRCT20260106068572N1

Enrollment

Registered

2026-01-27

Start date

2026-04-19

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2026-02-02

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Mothers Employed Outside the Home.

Interventions

Intervention 1: First Intervention Group: The ACT group therapy will be conducted in 10 sessions, each lasting 120 minutes, based on the protocol published by Dara Wistrup and JoAnn Wright in 2017. A

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

Female

Age

25 Years to 50 Years

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: Married mothers with at least one child under the age of 18 Currently employed Access to stable internet and suitable equipment (such as a smartphone or computer) and commitment to regular attendance in online group therapy sessions Informed consent to participate in online therapy sessions and complete assessment tools at the pre-test, post-test, and follow-up stages

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: Concurrent receipt of psychological therapy or pharmacotherapy (or at least three months without a change in medication dosage). Substance or alcohol use. Work schedules or personal commitments that conflict with the individual's weekly online group therapy session times.

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Psychological Distress: individual's overall psychological state across three key domains—self-reported perceived stress, perceived anxiety, and perceived depression, in DASS-21 Scale. Timepoint: Prior to the commencement of group therapy interventions (pre-test), immediately following the completion of group therapy interventions (post-test), and four months after the conclusion of group therapy interventions (follow-up). Method of measurement: The 21-item Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), developed by Lovibond and Lovibond (1995).;Work-Family Conflict: A type of inter-role conflict in which the pressures arising from work and family domains are in some aspects incompatible or contradictory. Consequently, fulfilling one role (work or family) makes it difficult or problematic to fulfill the other role. This conflict can manifest as work-to-family interference (when work demands hinder the performance of family roles) or family-to-work interference (when family responsibilities disrupt work performance). Timepoint: Prior to the commencement of group therapy interventions (pre-test), immediately following the completion of group therapy interventions (post-test), and four months after the conclusion of group therapy interventions (follow-up). Method of measurement: The Work–Family Conflict Scale, developed by Carlson et al. in 2000, which consists of 18 items.;Score in the Parenting Stress Index - Short Form (PSI-SF). Timepoint: Prior to the commencement of group therapy interventions (pre-test), immediately following the completion of group therapy interventions (post-test), and four months after the conclusion of group therapy interventions (follow-up). Method of measurement: The Parenting Stress Index-Short Form (PSI-SF) was developed by Abidin (1995). It is the abbreviated version of the original scale and consists of 36 items.;Score in the Self-Compassion Scale - Short Form (SCS-SF). Timepoint: Prior to the commencement of group therapy intervention	—

Measure

Time frame

Psychological Distress: individual's overall psychological state across three key domains—self-reported perceived stress, perceived anxiety, and perceived depression, in DASS-21 Scale. Timepoint: Prior to the commencement of group therapy interventions (pre-test), immediately following the completion of group therapy interventions (post-test), and four months after the conclusion of group therapy interventions (follow-up). Method of measurement: The 21-item Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), developed by Lovibond and Lovibond (1995).;Work-Family Conflict: A type of inter-role conflict in which the pressures arising from work and family domains are in some aspects incompatible or contradictory. Consequently, fulfilling one role (work or family) makes it difficult or problematic to fulfill the other role. This conflict can manifest as work-to-family interference (when work demands hinder the performance of family roles) or family-to-work interference (when family responsibilities disrupt work performance). Timepoint: Prior to the commencement of group therapy interventions (pre-test), immediately following the completion of group therapy interventions (post-test), and four months after the conclusion of group therapy interventions (follow-up). Method of measurement: The Work–Family Conflict Scale, developed by Carlson et al. in 2000, which consists of 18 items.;Score in the Parenting Stress Index - Short Form (PSI-SF). Timepoint: Prior to the commencement of group therapy interventions (pre-test), immediately following the completion of group therapy interventions (post-test), and four months after the conclusion of group therapy interventions (follow-up). Method of measurement: The Parenting Stress Index-Short Form (PSI-SF) was developed by Abidin (1995). It is the abbreviated version of the original scale and consists of 36 items.;Score in the Self-Compassion Scale - Short Form (SCS-SF). Timepoint: Prior to the commencement of group therapy intervention

—

Countries

Iran (Islamic Republic of)

Contacts

Public ContactNegin Sayqalzanan Mashhadi

Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences

negin.sayqalzanan@sbmu.ac.ir+98 904 539 0822

Outcome results

None listed

Source: IRCT (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Feb 7, 2026