Volume 12, Issue 4 (November 2025)
Avicenna J Neuro Psycho Physiology 2025, 12(4): 208-214 |
Back to browse issues page
Ethics code: IR.IAU.AHVAZ.REC.1404.295
Download citation:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
Mazloom N, Hoseinzadeh M. Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in Enhancing Resilience and Reducing Cognitive Avoidance in Male Adolescents with Aggressive Behavior. Avicenna J Neuro Psycho Physiology 2025; 12 (4) :208-214
URL: http://ajnpp.umsha.ac.ir/article-1-556-en.html
URL: http://ajnpp.umsha.ac.ir/article-1-556-en.html
1- Department of Psychology, Ahv.C., Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran , mazloomnjm@gmail.com
2- Department of Counseling, Ahv.C., Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran
2- Department of Counseling, Ahv.C., Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran
Abstract: (28 Views)
Background and Objective: Adolescent aggression represents a significant psychosocial risk, often associated with impaired emotion regulation and maladaptive coping strategies, including cognitive avoidance, which undermines psychological resilience. The present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in increasing resilience and reducing dimensions of cognitive avoidance in male students exhibiting aggression symptoms.
Materials and Methods: A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design with a control group and a two-month follow-up was employed. A total of 30 tenth-grade male students referred to counseling centers under the Ahvaz Education Department, Iran, in 2024 were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to an experimental (n=15) or a control group (n=15). The experimental group received eight biweekly 90-minute ACT sessions. Resilience and cognitive avoidance were assessed using the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) and the Cognitive Avoidance Questionnaire (CAQ) at pretest, posttest, and follow-up. In addition, data were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA.
Results: The ACT group showed significant improvements in resilience and significant reductions in total cognitive avoidance compared with the control group (P<0.01). Subscale analyses revealed significant decreases in thought suppression, thought substitution, distraction, avoidance of threatening stimuli, and transformation of images into thoughts (P<0.01). These effects were maintained at the two-month follow-up.
Conclusions: The ACT is an effective non-pharmacological intervention for enhancing psychological and social adaptation in male adolescents with aggression symptoms. By fostering resilience and reducing maladaptive cognitive avoidance, ACT equips young people with sustainable coping skills for life’s challenges.
Materials and Methods: A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design with a control group and a two-month follow-up was employed. A total of 30 tenth-grade male students referred to counseling centers under the Ahvaz Education Department, Iran, in 2024 were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to an experimental (n=15) or a control group (n=15). The experimental group received eight biweekly 90-minute ACT sessions. Resilience and cognitive avoidance were assessed using the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) and the Cognitive Avoidance Questionnaire (CAQ) at pretest, posttest, and follow-up. In addition, data were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA.
Results: The ACT group showed significant improvements in resilience and significant reductions in total cognitive avoidance compared with the control group (P<0.01). Subscale analyses revealed significant decreases in thought suppression, thought substitution, distraction, avoidance of threatening stimuli, and transformation of images into thoughts (P<0.01). These effects were maintained at the two-month follow-up.
Conclusions: The ACT is an effective non-pharmacological intervention for enhancing psychological and social adaptation in male adolescents with aggression symptoms. By fostering resilience and reducing maladaptive cognitive avoidance, ACT equips young people with sustainable coping skills for life’s challenges.
Keywords: Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), Adolescent behavior, Aggression, Cognitive avoidance, Resilience
Article Type: Research Article |
Subject:
Cognition
Received: 2025/12/14 | Accepted: 2026/02/14 | Published: 2025/11/23
Received: 2025/12/14 | Accepted: 2026/02/14 | Published: 2025/11/23
Send email to the article author
| Rights and permissions | |
 |
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |
Articles Copyright © The Author(s).
Owned by Hamadan University of Medical Sciences.
Published by UMSHA Press
Journal Tel: +989025126654
Publisher Tel: +985136014377
Website: http://ajnpp.umsha.ac.ir
Email: avicennajnpp[at]gmail.com
