Effectiveness of Positive Psychology Training and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in Improving Psychological Distress and Motivational Beliefs in Students with a Parental Death Experience: A Quasi-experimental Study

Abstract

Background: The loss of a parent significantly affects the academic performance, social interactions, and overall well-being of students. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of positive psychology training and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) in reducing psychological distress and improving motivational beliefs among students who have experienced the loss of a parent. Methods: This quasi-experimental study adopted a pretest-posttest follow-up design and included two experimental groups and one control group. The research focused on female secondary school students in Ahvaz, Iran, who were grieving the death of a parent. Sixty participants who met the inclusion criteria were selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned to two experimental groups and one control group (n = 20 each). Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA with SPSS 23. Results: The findings indicated that both positive psychology training and ACT significantly impacted the participants' psychological distress and motivational beliefs. There were significant differences between the effects of positive psychology training and ACT, with positive psychology training showing a more substantial influence on reducing psychological distress and enhancing motivational beliefs than ACT. Conclusions: This study concludes that both positive psychology training and ACT are effective in boosting motivational beliefs and mitigating psychological distress among students grieving the loss of a parent.