Introduction: Rheumatoid arthritis is one of the autoimmune diseases and has a chronic and progressive course. In addition to physical problems and disabilities, this disease has social and psychological consequences. The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of schema therapy with acceptance and commitment-based therapy on pain indicators (severity/acceptance) in people with rheumatoid arthritis.
Methodology: The present study was a semi-experimental design of pre-test-post-test type with two experimental groups (schema therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy) and a control group with a 3-month follow-up test. The statistical population of this research included all the people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis under regular drug treatment who had filed a case in Loqman hospital in Tehran during 1401-1402 due to mechanical and non-inflammatory pains. The sampling method in this research was firstly targeted sampling and 60 people (20 people in each group) were selected as a sample. The standard pain intensity questionnaires of Quebec et al. (1995) and pain acceptance questionnaires by McCracken and Wells (2004) were used to collect data. Mixed analysis with repeated measurements with SPSS version 25 software was used for data analysis.
Results: The results showed that the effectiveness of treatment based on acceptance and commitment on pain indicators was more than schema therapy.
Conclusion: In order to improve the pain indicators of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, it is suggested to use schema therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy.