Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Psychology and Counseling, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran

2 Department of Psychology and Counseling, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran.

3 Department of Psychology and Counselling, Farhangian University, Tehran,,Iran.

4 Psychologist at Golestan and Iran Zamin Rehabilitation Centers, Kermanshah., Iran.

Abstract

Background and Aim: Considering the numerous psychosocial challenges faced by mothers of children with physical disabilities, and the key role of psychological flexibility in adapting to these conditions, the aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of group motivational interviewing on increasing psychological flexibility in mothers of students with physical and motor disabilities.
Methods: A quasi-experimental study with a pretest–posttest control group design was conducted. The study population consisted of mothers of students with physical-motor disabilities who attended rehabilitation centers and were registered with the Exceptional Education Organization in Kermanshah, Iran over the course of the 2025–2026 academic year. Thirty eligible mothers were selected through purposive sampling and randomly assigned to either an experimental group (n = 15) or a control group (n = 15). Data were collected using the Psychological Flexibility Questionnaire developed by Bond et al. (2007). Participants in the experimental group received ten weekly 60-minute sessions of group motivational interviewing, whereas the control group received no intervention. Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) in SPSS version 26.
Findings: The findings indicated that group motivational interviewing significantly improved psychological flexibility among mothers of students with physical-motor disabilities compared with the control group (p<0.05).
Conclusion: The results suggest that group motivational interviewing is an effective intervention for enhancing psychological flexibility in mothers of students with physical-motor disabilities. These findings support the application of motivational interviewing in educational, rehabilitation, and clinical settings to promote psychological adjustment and adaptive functioning among caregivers of children with disabilities.

Keywords

Main Subjects

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