Hospital Practices and Research

Abstract Background: Menopause represents a significant physiological and psychological transition, often accompanied by negative attitudes and considerable challenges in health adjustment.
Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of mindfulness training in improving attitudes toward menopause and health adjustment among menopausal women.
Methods: This quasi-experimental study employed a pre-test, post-test design with a control group. The statistical population included menopausal women referred to a health center in Ahvaz, Iran, in 2024. A sample of 30 eligible women aged 51-65 years was selected using convenience sampling and randomly allocated into two equal groups (experimental, n = 15; control, n = 15). The experimental group received eight 70-minute sessions of mindfulness training, while the control group was placed on a waitlist. Data were collected using the Attitudes Toward Menopause Questionnaire and the Health Adjustment subscale of the Bell Adjustment Inventory. Data were analyzed using Chi-square and Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) via SPSS 25.
Results: Initial analysis indicated no significant differences in age and educational level between the two groups (P > 0.05). The MANCOVA results showed that the mindfulness intervention significantly improved both attitudes toward menopause (η²p = 0.60) and health adjustment (η²p = 0.57) in the experimental group compared to the control group (P < 0.001), with large effect sizes.
Conclusion: The findings suggest that mindfulness training is an effective, non-pharmacological intervention for enhancing psychological resilience and improving women's adaptation during the menopausal transition. Specialists and therapists are encouraged to incorporate mindfulness protocols into women's health promotion and counseling programs.

Abstract Background: Diabetes is a chronic disease requiring ongoing self-care, which can be emotionally challenging and lead to difficulties with coping and adherence, ultimately impacting health outcomes.
Objectives: This study investigated the impact of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on self-care behaviors and coping strategies in individuals with diabetes.
Methods: The present study used a quasi-experimental design incorporating pre-test, post-test, and follow-up assessments with a control group. The study population consisted of female patients aged between 30 and 50 years with a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes who were registered with the Ahvaz Diabetes Association between January and April 2023.Thirty participants with type 2 diabetes were recruited using convenience sampling and subsequently randomly assigned to either the intervention group (n = 15) or the control group (n = 15). The intervention group participated in eight weekly 90-minute sessions of ACT, whereas the control group received treatment as usual. Data were collected at three time points (pre-intervention, post-intervention, and follow-up) using the Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities (SDSCA) questionnaire and the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS). Repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed using SPSS version 26 for data analysis.
Results: Findings indicated a significant effect of ACT, leading to decreased utilization of avoidance strategies and increased engagement in problem-focused coping and self-care behaviors among individuals with diabetes (P<0.001). Conversely, ACT did not demonstrate a significant impact on emotion-focused coping strategies in this population.
Conclusion: This study supports the potential benefits of ACT for improving diabetes self-care. Significant reductions in avoidance and increases in problem-focused coping and self-care following ACT suggest its potential to empower individuals to actively manage their condition. While ACT did not demonstrate a statistically significant impact on emotion-focused coping, its positive effects on other coping mechanisms and self-care highlight its potential to improve patient outcomes.