The effectiveness of commitment and acceptance-based enrichment training on emotional alexithymia, psychological flexibility, and sleep disorders in elderly people with suicidal thoughts in Bandar Abbas nursing homes

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Faculty member

2 payame noor

3 Department of Educational Science, Payeme Noor University,Tehran, Iran

10.22126/jap.2026.13246.1896

Abstract

Today, the number of people over 65 years of age is increasing significantly worldwide, and in many countries suicide among the elderly is considered an important public health concern. According to the World Health Organization, older adults have the highest rate of successful suicide compared to other age groups. The present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment–based enrichment on emotional alexithymia, psychological flexibility, and sleep disorders in elderly individuals with suicidal thoughts. This study used a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test–post-test and control group. The research population included all elderly residents with suicidal ideation in nursing homes in Bandar Abbas in 1404. Using available sampling and considering inclusion and exclusion criteria, 32 participants (18 women and 14 men) were selected and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups (16 participants in each group). The experimental group received acceptance and commitment therapy based on the package of Eifert, Forsyth, Arch et al. (2002) in ten 90-minute sessions, while the control group received no intervention. Data were collected using the Cognitive Flexibility Scale (Dennis & Vander Wal, 2010), the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (Taylor, 1986), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (Buysse et al., 1989), and the Beck Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire (1961). Data analysis was performed using repeated measures ANOVA, Bonferroni post hoc tests, and SPSS 27. The results indicated significant differences between the groups in emotional alexithymia, psychological flexibility, and sleep disorders (p<0.05).

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History

  • Receive Date: 26 November 2025
  • Revise Date: 04 August 2026
  • Accept Date: 01 August 2026

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