Comparing the effectiveness of pathological grief therapy with acceptance and commitment therapy on self-compassion in survivors of people who died with suicidal intent

Subject Areas : Social and Communication Trauma

Elias Soleimani ¹ , Gholamreza Ebrahiminejad ^{2 *} , Hamid Molaei Zarandi ³

1 - Department of Psychology, Zarand Branch, Islamic Azad University, Zarand, Iran
2 - Associate Professor Department of Psychiatry, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
3 - Department of Psychology, Zarand Branch, Islamic Azad University, Zarand, Iran.

Received: 2025-06-18 Accepted : 2025-07-30 Published : 2025-09-11

Keywords: Treatment of pathological grief, acceptance and commitment therapy, self-compassion, suicide survivors.,

Abstract :

Abstract

Background and Objective: Suicide survivors face an unexpected and possibly violent death at the same time as they lose their loved ones. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of pathological grief therapy (CGT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on self-compassion in survivors of people who died with suicidal intent in Kerman city.

Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted with pre-test and post-test in two experimental groups and a control group. The statistical population included all suicide survivors in 2023, of which 30 were selected through purposive sampling and divided into three groups of 10. The experimental groups underwent therapeutic interventions of CGT and ACT, and the control group did not receive any intervention.

Results: Both treatments had a significant effect on increasing self-compassion, but CGT with an effect size of 77% was more effective than ACT with an effect size of 51%. The findings show that CGT is particularly effective in reducing self-criticism and increasing self-compassion in suicide survivors.

Conclusion: These results are consistent with previous research and emphasize the importance of ACT-based treatments in improving quality of life and reducing symptoms of CGT. Finally, this study shows that increasing self-compassion can help facilitate the psychological recovery process in these individuals.

 

 

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Keywords: Treatment of pathological grief, acceptance and commitment therapy, self-compassion, suicide survivors.