ACT Mindfulness Practices In The Context Of Islamic And Indigenous Spiritual Traditions

Abstract

Background: Aggression in young adults within Pakistan is a significant concern and appears to be a problem at the academic, social, and interpersonal levels. Although mindfulness therapies like ACT have been adopted to address issues in the West, their adoption in diverse spiritual and cultural contexts remains largely unexplored.  This study aims to fill the gap of culturally responsive approaches to aggression by incorporating mindfulness elements of ACT to Islamic concepts of sabr, dhikr, and tawakkul to improve psychological flexibility and mitigate aggression among youth in Pakistan. Objectives: To assess the efficacy and cultural applicability of aggression reduction techniques incorporating Islamic and Indigenous spiritual frameworks for mindfulness practices on Pakistani young adults. The objectives of the study were to personalize ACT mindfulness modules to align with Islamic spirituality, apply a culturally respectful ACT intervention for young adults that addresses aggressive behavior, measure changes in aggression, psychological flexibility, and emotional regulation post-intervention, and assess participants’ views on the spiritual-cultural dimensions integrated into the intervention. Method: The study utilized a quasi-experimental approach on 20 participants aged 18 to 25 with elevated levels of aggression. There were two groups: an experimental group of 10 participants who received the ACT intervention, and a control group of 10 participants who received no treatment. The ACT intervention was comprised of 8 weekly group sessions, which included: Islamic elements (taqwa, sabr, tazkiyah, rahmah). The activities included, but were not limited to, dhikr-based mindfulness, values clarification, and spiritual reflection. Each session targeted one of the ACT processes (acceptance, defusion, self-as-context) with an Islamic cultural framework. The outcome measures were the BPAQ (Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire), AAQ-II (Acceptance and Action Questionnaire), and DERS (Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale). Findings: Participants demonstrated significant improvements in emotional regulation, psychological flexibility, and reduced aggression levels. The experimental group showed a significant reduction in total aggression (mean reduction of 16.94 points on the BPAQ, p < 0.001), with large effect sizes across all aggression subscales (Cohen's d ranging from 0.77 to 1.08). Psychological flexibility improved significantly on the AAQ-II, and emotional regulation showed significant improvement on the DERS. Incorporating Islamic concepts such as sabr and rahmah strengthened engagement and emotional resilience, while fostering deeper spiritual development. Conclusion: The ACT mindfulness program, adapted culturally and spiritually, effectively mitigated aggression and improved emotional regulation among Pakistani youth. Incorporating Islamic values into the ACT framework improved adherence to the therapy. It enhanced its relevance, indicating that mental health efforts designed for different sociocultural contexts must be rooted in local spiritual paradigms to be meaningful.