The Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Sexual arousal, Intimacy and Self-concept of Female Sexual Interest/Arousal Disorder, a Randomized Controlled Trial

Introduction: Sexual satisfaction is one of the most basic aspects of marriage and is a key factor in the quality of human life. Sexual arousal disorder is a clinical diagnosis for female sexual dysfunction characterized by decreased libido and sexual arousal accompanied by anxiety. The present study is the first clinical trial in Iranian society to evaluate the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on arousal, intimacy and sexual self-concept of women with sexual arousal disorder. Method: In a randomized clinical trial, 30 women with a diagnosis of sexual interest/arousal disorder were selected from patients referred to medical centers in Isfahan using purposive sampling based on screening and were assigned into two treatment and wait-list groups using block randomization method. The designed treatment package based on acceptance and commitment was presented to the experimental group for eight weekly sessions. The three indices of arousal, intimacy and sexual self-concept were evaluated in three-time stages and the data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance (rANOVA). Results: Preliminary results showed that ACT had a significant effect on the three indices of arousal, intimacy and sexual self-concept (all p s 0.05). Secondary results showed that the effectiveness of treatment remained stable until the 3-month follow-up stage (all p s 0.05). Conclusion: The results of this study indicate the effectiveness of ACT on the indices of arousal, intimacy and sexual self-concept. These findings indicate the role of the concept of acceptance in the treatment and promotion of sexual problems. These findings can be associated with clinical applications in the field of couple therapy.