The effect of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on perceived stress, rumination, and distress tolerance in women with Bulimia Nervosa

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in mitigating perceived stress, rumination, and distress tolerance among women diagnosed with Bulimia Nervosa (BN) in Ahvaz, Iran. A quasi-experimental pre-test-post-test design with a control group was employed. The target population consisted of all female BN patients referred to the Ahvaz Binge Eaters Association between February and May 2022. Patients were definitively diagnosed with BN by a clinical specialist using a structured clinical interview adhering to DSM-5 criteria. From an initial pool of 91 patients, 50 were randomly selected for participation and subsequently assigned to either the experimental or control group, with each group comprising 25 individuals. Pre-test analysis revealed no significant group differences in perceived stress, rumination, or distress tolerance among women with BN. However, post-test scores indicated a significant decrease in both perceived stress and rumination within the experimental group compared to the control group (p < .01). Furthermore, the post-test analysis demonstrated that ACT intervention significantly improved distress tolerance in women with BN (p < .01). These findings suggest that ACT may be a promising therapeutic approach for alleviating psychological distress and enhancing emotional regulation in individuals grappling with BN.