The Effect of a Brief Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Intervention on the Near-Miss Effect in Problem Gamblers

2012 ◽  
Vol 62 (4) ◽  
pp. 677-690 ◽  
Author(s):  
Becky L. Nastally ◽  
Mark R. Dixon
Keyword(s):  
Acceptance And Commitment Therapy ◽  
Near Miss ◽  
Problem Gamblers ◽  
Commitment Therapy ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment ◽  
Therapy Intervention

scholarly journals Feasibility and acceptability of an acceptance and commitment therapy intervention for caregivers of adults with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole R. Fowler ◽  
Katherine S. Judge ◽  
Kaitlyn Lucas ◽  
Tayler Gowan ◽  
Patrick Stutz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment Therapy ◽  
Psychological Flexibility ◽  
Anxiety Symptoms ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Commitment Therapy ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment ◽  
Therapy Intervention

Abstract Background Caregivers of patients with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia (ADRD) report high levels of distress, including symptoms of anxiety and depression, caregiving burden, and existential suffering; however, those with support and healthy coping strategies have less stress and burden. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) aims to foster greater acceptance of internal events while promoting actions aligned with personal values to increase psychological flexibility in the face of challenges. The objective of this single-arm pilot, Telephone Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Intervention for Caregivers (TACTICs), was to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects of an ACT intervention on ADRD caregiver anxiety, depressive symptoms, burden, caregiver suffering, and psychological flexibility. Methods ADRD caregivers ≥21 years of age with a Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) score ≥ 10 indicative of moderate or higher symptoms of anxiety were enrolled (N = 15). Participants received a telephone-based ACT intervention delivered by a non-licensed, bachelor’s-prepared trained interventionist over 6 weekly 1-h sessions that included engaging experiential exercises and metaphors designed to increase psychological flexibility. The following outcome measures were administered at baseline (T1), immediately post-intervention (T2), 3 months post-intervention (T3), and 6 months post-intervention (T4): anxiety symptoms (GAD-7; primary outcome); secondary outcomes of depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire–9), burden (Zarit Burden Interview), suffering (The Experience of Suffering measure), psychological flexibility/experiential avoidance (Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II), and coping skills (Brief COPE). Results All 15 participants completed the study and 93.3% rated their overall satisfaction with their TACTICs experience as “completely satisfied.” At T2, caregivers showed large reduction in anxiety symptoms (SRM 1.42, 95% CI [0.87, 1.97], p < 0.001) that were maintained at T3 and T4. At T4, psychological suffering (SRM 0.99, 95% CI [0.41, 1.56], p = 0.0027) and caregiver burden (SRM 0.79, 95% CI [0.21, 1.37], p = 0.0113) also decreased. Conclusions Despite a small sample size, the 6-session manualized TACTICs program was effective in reducing anxiety, suggesting that non-clinically trained staff may be able to provide an effective therapeutic intervention by phone to maximize intervention scalability and reach. Trial registration Institutional Review Board (IRB) protocol #1904631305 version 05-14-2019. Recruitment began 06-14-2019 and was concluded on 12-09-2019. Recruitment began 06-14-2019 and was concluded on 12-09-2019.

Respiratory sinus arrhythmia predicts perceived therapy process of a group-based acceptance and commitment therapy intervention

2021 ◽  
Vol 85 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-22
Author(s):  
William H. O'Brien ◽  
Paul Goetz ◽  
Aaron T. O'Brien ◽  
Heather McCarren ◽  
Eileen Delaney
Keyword(s):  
Acceptance And Commitment Therapy ◽  
Work Stress ◽  
Present Moment ◽  
Therapy Process ◽  
Sinus Arrhythmia ◽  
Commitment Therapy ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment ◽  
Community Residents ◽  
Therapy Intervention ◽  
Task Focus

Engagement in psychotherapy is partially contingent on present-moment focus, mindfulness, and emotion regulation skills. These skills can be linked to parasympathetic functioning with theoretical explanations provided by polyvagal and neurovisceral integration theories. The specific aims of this project were to evaluate relationships between a measure of parasympathetic functioning (respiratory sinus arrythmia [RSA]) and measures of client reports of engagement in an experiential and emotionally evocative group-based intervention. Twenty-one community residents received group-based acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for work stress. RSA was measured 1 week before the intervention. Client ratings of relationship support, task focus, and hindering experiences were assessed after each session. Results indicated that clients perceived the ACT intervention to be supportive, task-focused, and without significant therapy-hindering experiences. Higher levels of RSA were significantly associated with higher levels of relationship support. These results support predictions derived from the polyvagal and neurovisceral integration theories.

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