The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of group Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and group Complicated Grief Therapy (CGT) in lowering hypertension among bereaved survivors of cancer patients who exhibited. This research employed a quasi-experimental design with a pretest–posttest control group. The study population consisted of bereaved survivors of cancer patients with pathological grief symptoms and hypertension who attended clinics as well as counseling centers in Kerman in 2023. A total of 36 eligible volunteers were recruited through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to three groups: 12 participants in the ACT group, 12 in the CGT group, and 12 in the control group. The study instruments included the group therapy protocol for complicated grief (Shear et al., 2005), the group therapy protocol for ACT (Hayes et al., 1999), and a blood pressure monitoring device. The blood pressure measurement followed a standardized clinical protocol. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure were measured using a calibrated mercury sphygmomanometer by a trained healthcare professional. Measurements were performed on two separate days at both pretest and posttest phases, between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m., to control for diurnal variations. The participants were seated comfortably with their back supported, feet flat on the floor, and the arm supported at heart level after at least 10 minutes of rest. Measurements were taken on the dominant arm. They were instructed to avoid caffeine, smoking, and vigorous physical activity for at least 30 minutes prior to the measurement. Antihypertensive medications were continued as prescribed, with participants asked not to alter their medication regimen along the study period. On each measurement day, blood pressure was recorded twice at five-minute intervals, with the average of the two readings employed for the statistical analysis. The MANCOVA and ANCOVA results indicated that both therapeutic interventions significantly lowered blood pressure compared to the control group (P < .001), with exceptionally large effect sizes (Partial Eta Squared = .84 to .82). Specifically, Complicated Grief Therapy (CGT) exhibited a superior clinical impact, lowering systolic pressure to 123.50 ± 3.25 mmHg, which was significantly more effective than Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) at 128.42 ± 3.10 mmHg (P < .001). Bonferroni post-hoc comparisons confirmed a hierarchical efficacy pattern (CGT > ACT > Control), highlighting that while both third-wave therapies could alleviate physiological stress, the targeted emotional processing in CGT provides enhanced hemodynamic regulation for bereaved survivors. Both psychological interventions were effective on managing hypertension linked to bereavement distress; nevertheless, Complicated Grief Therapy offers a more potent specialized approach. Integrating these therapies into the clinical care of cancer survivors can significantly mitigate the cardiovascular risks associated with pathological grief.
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