The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-based Sex Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Emotional Intimacy and Sexual Satisfaction among Pregnant Women: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Ardabil Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ardabil, Iran

2 psychology,educational sciences,university of mohaghegh ardabili

3 Department of Psychology, Ardabil Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ardabil, Iran.

10.22098/jrp.2026.19178.1352

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of Mindfulness-based Sex Therapy (MBST) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on emotional intimacy and sexual satisfaction in pregnant women.

Method: A quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design with a control group was employed. The population consisted of pregnant women in Ardabil city in 2024. Sixty participants were purposefully selected and randomly assigned to three groups (n = 20 per group): two experimental groups (mindfulness-based sex therapy and ACT) and one control group. Instruments included the Emotional Intimacy Scale (Walker & Thompson, 1983) and the Sexual Satisfaction Scale (Hudson, 1981). The data was analyzed using Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) in SPSS version 24.

Results: Both interventions produced statistically significant increases in emotional intimacy and sexual satisfaction compared with the control group (p < .05). In comparing the two treatments, there was no significant difference in effectiveness on emotional intimacy. However, ACT showed a significantly greater effect than MBST on increasing sexual satisfaction (p < .05).

Conclusion: The findings support the effectiveness of both approaches in improving relational indicators among pregnant women. Given the relatively greater advantage of ACT in the domain of sexual satisfaction, this approach may be considered a more targeted intervention for addressing sexual challenges during pregnancy.

Keywords

Journal of Research in Psychopathology

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 03 June 2026

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