Background: Acceptance and Commitment therapy (ACT) is now widely
acknowledged as a successful treatment strategy for improving psychological
adaptability. Fostering self-compassion, and improving emotional regulation. Aim:
was to evaluate the effect of an Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) program
on self-compassion & sleep quality among patients with mental illness. Methods: A
quasi-experimental design a convenience sample of 60 patients attending psychiatric
outpatient clinics in Benha City, Egypt. Tools for data collection: data were collected
using structured interview questionnaire, the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire
(AAQ-II), Self-Compassion Scale (SCS), and Sleep Quality Scale (SQS).Results:
Post-intervention analysis showed a significant improvement in psychological
flexibility (AAQ-II), self-compassion levels (χ² = 20.55, p = 0.000), and sleep quality
(χ² = 20.03, p = 0.000). Strong correlations were found post-intervention between
psychological flexibility and self-compassion (r = 0.927, p = 0.000), and between AAQ
and sleep quality (r = -0.498, p = 0.005). Significant changes were observed in AAQ
levels among patients with bipolar disorder (p = 0.028) and in sleep quality among
patients with anxiety and bipolar disorder (p = 0.041, p = 0.029, respectively). Male
participants
showed significant improvement in self-compassion (p =
0.002).Conclusion: the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) program was
found to be an effective intervention for improving self-compassion and sleep quality.
Those with anxiety and bipolar disorder showed the most noticeable changes.
Recommendation: incorporate Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) into
standard mental health care practices, as it promoting emotional resilience, enhancing
self-compassion, and improving overall psychological well-being.