Volume 12, Issue 3 (Autumn 2025)
J Prevent Med 2025, 12(3): 311-322 |
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Ethics code: IR.IAU.TABRIZ.REC.1403.467
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Rahnamay Bajeh L, Ahanghar A. The effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy on risky behaviors and sexual restraint in unaccompanied adolescents. J Prevent Med 2025; 12 (3) :311-322
URL: http://jpm.hums.ac.ir/article-1-830-en.html
URL: http://jpm.hums.ac.ir/article-1-830-en.html
1- Department of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Shabestar Branch, Tabriz, Iran
Abstract: (882 Views)
Introduction: Due to adverse childhood experiences and deprivation, adolescents in foster care are at high risk for social maladjustment and risky behaviors. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on risk-taking behaviors and sexual abstinence among adolescent boys under the care of the Welfare Organization in Tabriz.
Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test/post-test control group design. The statistical population consisted of all adolescent boys in the “Shokoufeh-haye Mehrjoo” foster care center in Tabriz in 2024. A purposive sample of 30 adolescents was selected and randomly assigned to either an experimental group (n=15) or a control group (n=15). The experimental group received eight 90-minute ACT sessions over three months, while the control group received no intervention. Data were collected using the Sexual Abstinence Questionnaire and the Risk-Taking Behaviors Questionnaire and were analyzed using Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) in SPSS-26.
Results: After controlling for pre-test scores, the results indicated that ACT had a significant effect on both risk-taking behaviors and sexual abstinence (P<0.05). Specifically, the experimental group showed a significant decrease in risk-taking scores and a significant increase in sexual abstinence scores compared to the control group. These findings suggest that the intervention is effective in improving behavioral and sexual self-regulation among these adolescents.
Discussion: The findings demonstrate that Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is effective in reducing risk-taking behaviors and enhancing sexual abstinence among adolescent boys in foster care. Therefore, this therapeutic approach can be utilized to promote mental health and adaptive behaviors within this population.
Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test/post-test control group design. The statistical population consisted of all adolescent boys in the “Shokoufeh-haye Mehrjoo” foster care center in Tabriz in 2024. A purposive sample of 30 adolescents was selected and randomly assigned to either an experimental group (n=15) or a control group (n=15). The experimental group received eight 90-minute ACT sessions over three months, while the control group received no intervention. Data were collected using the Sexual Abstinence Questionnaire and the Risk-Taking Behaviors Questionnaire and were analyzed using Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) in SPSS-26.
Results: After controlling for pre-test scores, the results indicated that ACT had a significant effect on both risk-taking behaviors and sexual abstinence (P<0.05). Specifically, the experimental group showed a significant decrease in risk-taking scores and a significant increase in sexual abstinence scores compared to the control group. These findings suggest that the intervention is effective in improving behavioral and sexual self-regulation among these adolescents.
Discussion: The findings demonstrate that Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is effective in reducing risk-taking behaviors and enhancing sexual abstinence among adolescent boys in foster care. Therefore, this therapeutic approach can be utilized to promote mental health and adaptive behaviors within this population.
Type of Study: Orginal |
Subject:
Psychology
Received: 2025/04/30 | Accepted: 2025/09/20 | Published: 2026/08/11
Received: 2025/04/30 | Accepted: 2025/09/20 | Published: 2026/08/11
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