scholarly journals Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Improves Sleep Quality, Experiential Avoidance, and Emotion Regulation in Individuals with Insomnia—Results from a Randomized Interventional Study

Life ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 133
Author(s):  
Ali Zakiei ◽  
Habibolah Khazaie ◽  
Masoumeh Rostampour ◽  
Sakari Lemola ◽  
Maryam Esmaeili ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Sleep Quality ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment Therapy ◽  
Experiential Avoidance ◽  
Dysfunctional Beliefs ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment ◽  
Sleep Log ◽  
Weekly Group ◽  
Beliefs And Attitudes

Insomnia is a common problem in the general population. To treat insomnia, medication therapies and insomnia-related cognitive-behavioral interventions are often applied. The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on sleep quality, dysfunctional sleep beliefs and attitudes, experiential avoidance, and acceptance of sleep problems in individuals with insomnia, compared to a control condition. A total of 35 participants with diagnosed insomnia (mean age: 41.46 years old; 62.9% females) were randomly assigned to the ACT intervention (weekly group therapy for 60–70 min) or to the active control condition (weekly group meetings for 60–70 min without interventional and psychotherapeutic character). At baseline and after eight weeks (end of the study), and again 12 weeks later at follow-up, participants completed self-rating questionnaires on sleep quality, dysfunctional beliefs and attitudes about sleep, emotion regulation, and experiential avoidance. Furthermore, participants in the intervention condition kept a weekly sleep log for eight consecutive weeks (micro-analysis). Every morning, participants completed the daily sleep log, which consisted of items regarding subjective sleep duration, sleep quality, and the feeling of being restored. Sleep quality, dysfunctional beliefs and attitudes towards sleep, emotion regulation, and experiential avoidance improved over time, but only in the ACT condition compared to the control condition. Improvements remained stable until follow-up. Improvements in experiential avoidance were related to a favorable change in sleep and cognitive-emotional processing. Micro-analyses showed that improvements occurred within the first three weeks of treatment. The pattern of results suggests that ACT appeared to have improved experiential avoidance, which in turn improved both sleep quality and sleep-related cognitive-emotional processes at longer-term in adults with insomnia.

Behavioral Activation and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in the Treatment of Anxiety and Depression in Cancer Survivors: A Randomized Clinical Trial

2020 ◽  
pp. 014544552091644
Author(s):  
Concepción Fernández-Rodríguez ◽  
Sonia González-Fernández ◽  
Rocío Coto-Lesmes ◽  
Ignacio Pedrosa
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Survivors ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment Therapy ◽  
Experiential Avoidance ◽  
Behavioral Activation ◽  
Emotional Problems ◽  
Post Treatment ◽  
Behavioural Activation ◽  
Commitment Therapy ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment

Behavioural Activation (BA) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) aim to reduce the inflexible avoidance of painful thoughts, feelings and memories and to encourage involvement in relevant activities, objectives which are clearly relevant to the situation of cancer survivors with emotional problems. With a view to evaluating and comparing the efficacy of both therapies, applied on a group basis, a randomized controlled trial was developed. Cancer survivors (age 18–65 years) with anxiety and/or depression were assigned at random to two experimental groups (BA; ACT) and a waiting list control group (WL). Of the 66 cancer survivors randomized to trial (intention-to-treat sample), 46 participants ( M = 51.49; SD = 6.88) completed the intervention (BA, n = 17; ACT, n = 12; WL, n = 17) (per-protocol sample). The emotional state, experiential avoidance and behavioural activation of the participants was evaluated in the pre- and post-treatment and in a 3-month follow-up using standardized instruments. Both treatment groups showed statistically significant changes, indicating an improvement in all the result variables in the post-treatment and follow-up as compared to the pre-treatment. BA showed better results than ACT regarding impact on anxiety and activation. This greater efficacy may have been due to factors such as the emphasis placed in BA on behavioural activation and the central role played in it by functional analysis. The key role played by experiential avoidance and behavioral activation in the maintenance and treatment of emotional problems in cancer survivors is discussed. Raw data are available online ( http://dx.doi.org/10.17632/m7w688khs8.1 )

scholarly journals Acceptance and Commitment Therapy versus Social Support for Smoking Cessation for People with Schizophrenia: A Randomised Controlled Trial

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (19) ◽  
pp. 4304
Author(s):  
Yim-Wah Mak ◽  
Alice-Yuen Loke ◽  
Doris Y. P. Leung
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment Therapy ◽  
Experiential Avoidance ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Emotion Regulation Strategies ◽  
Quit Smoking ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment ◽  
Regulation Strategies ◽  
Randomised Controlled

Smoking is prevalent among people with schizophrenia. It has been found that Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is effective for treating psychotic symptoms and addictive behaviours, but the therapy has not been modified to help individuals with schizophrenia to quit smoking. A randomised controlled trial was conducted with the objective of comparing a 10-week, individual, face-to-face ACT programme (n = 65) to a social support programme on smoking cessation, experiential avoidance, and emotion-regulation strategies among people with schizophrenia who smoke (n = 65). The primary outcome was self-reported smoking abstinence for 7 days at 6 months after the start of the intervention. Secondary outcomes were self-reported and biochemically validated quit rates post-intervention. The Avoidance and Inflexibility Scale (AIS), Acceptance and Action Questionnaire II (AAQII), and Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) were employed. The self-reported quit rates in the ACT group were higher than in the social support group, although no significant differences were found (6 months: 12.3% vs. 7.7%, p = 0.56, 12 months: 10.8% vs. 7.7%, p = 0.76). We found significantly greater improvements in smoking-specific and ACT-specific experiential avoidance and less reliance on emotion regulation strategies in the ACT group at some time points. Overall, ACT is better than social support at enhancing experiential avoidance and reducing reliance on emotion regulation strategies in adults with schizophrenia who smoke. However, ACT did not produce a much better result than social support in helping them to completely quit smoking.

scholarly journals One year follow-up and mediation in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for adult depression

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacqueline G.L. A-Tjak ◽  
Nexhmedin Morina ◽  
Maurice Topper ◽  
Paul M.G. Emmelkamp
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment Therapy ◽  
Experiential Avoidance ◽  
Behavioral Therapy ◽  
Dysfunctional Attitudes ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment

Abstract Background Existing therapies for depression are effective, but many patients fail to recover or relapse. To improve care for patients, more research into the effectiveness and working mechanisms of treatments is needed. We examined the long-term efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), testing the hypothesis that CBT outperforms ACT and that both therapies work through their designated mechanisms of change. Methods We conducted a randomized controlled trial with 82 patients suffering from MDD. Data were collected before, during and after treatment, and at 12-month follow-up, assessing symptoms of depression, quality of life, dysfunctional attitudes, decentering , and experiential avoidance. Results Patients in both conditions reported significant and large reductions of depressive symptoms ( d = -1.26 to -1.60) and improvement in quality of life ( d = 0.91 to -1.28) 12 months following treatment. Our findings indicated no significant differences between the two interventions. Dysfunctional attitudes and decentering mediated treatment effects of depressive symptoms in both CBT and ACT, whereas experiential avoidance mediated treatment effects in ACT only. Conclusions Our results indicate that CBT is not more effective in treating depression than ACT. Both treatments seem to work through changes in dysfunctional attitudes and decentering, even though the treatments differ substantially. Change in experiential avoidance as an underlying mechanism seems to be an ACT-specific process. Further research is needed to investigate whether ACT and CBT may work differently for different groups of patients with depression.

scholarly journals One year follow-up and mediation in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for adult depression

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacqueline G.L. A-Tjak ◽  
Nexhmedin Morina ◽  
Maurice Topper ◽  
Paul M.G. Emmelkamp
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment Therapy ◽  
Experiential Avoidance ◽  
Behavioral Therapy ◽  
Dysfunctional Attitudes ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment

Abstract Background Existing therapies for depression are effective, but many patients fail to recover or relapse. To improve care for patients, more research into the effectiveness and working mechanisms of treatments is needed. We examined the long-term efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), testing the hypothesis that CBT outperforms ACT and that both therapies work through their designated mechanisms of change.Methods We conducted a randomized controlled trial with 82 patients suffering from MDD. Data were collected before, during and after treatment, and at 12-month follow-up, assessing symptoms of depression, quality of life, dysfunctional attitudes, decentering , and experiential avoidance.Results Patients in both conditions reported significant and large reductions of depressive symptoms (d = -1.26 to -1.60) and improvement in quality of life (d = 0.91 to -1.28) 12 months following treatment. Our findings indicated no significant differences between the two interventions. Dysfunctional attitudes and decentering mediated treatment effects of depressive symptoms in both CBT and ACT, whereas experiential avoidance mediated treatment effects in ACT only. Conclusions Our results indicate that CBT is not more effective in treating depression than ACT. Both treatments seem to work through changes in dysfunctional attitudes and decentering, even though the treatments differ substantially. Change in experiential avoidance as an underlying mechanism seems to be an ACT-specific process. Further research is needed to investigate whether ACT and CBT may work differently for different groups of patients with depression.

scholarly journals One year follow-up and mediation in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for adult depression

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacqueline G.L. A-Tjak ◽  
Nexhmedin Morina ◽  
Maurice Topper ◽  
Paul M.G. Emmelkamp
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment Therapy ◽  
Experiential Avoidance ◽  
Behavioral Therapy ◽  
Dysfunctional Attitudes ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment

Abstract Background Existing therapies for depression are effective, but many patients fail to recover or relapse. To improve care for patients, more research into the effectiveness and working mechanisms of treatments is needed. We examined the long-term efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), testing the hypothesis that CBT outperforms ACT and that both therapies work through their designated mechanisms of change.Methods We conducted a randomized controlled trial with 82 patients suffering from MDD. Data were collected before, during and after treatment, and at 12-month follow-up, assessing symptoms of depression, quality of life, dysfunctional attitudes, decentering , and experiential avoidance.Results Patients in both conditions reported significant and large reductions of depressive symptoms (d = -1.26 to -1.60) and improvement in quality of life (d = 0.91 to -1.28) 12 months following treatment. Our findings indicated no significant differences between the two interventions. Dysfunctional attitudes and decentering mediated treatment effects of depressive symptoms in both CBT and ACT, whereas experiential avoidance mediated treatment effects in ACT only. Conclusions Our results indicate that CBT is not more effective in treating depression than ACT. Both treatments seem to work through changes in dysfunctional attitudes and decentering, even though the treatments differ substantially. Change in experiential avoidance as an underlying mechanism seems to be an ACT-specific process. Further research is needed to investigate whether ACT and CBT may work differently for different groups of patients with depression.Trial registration clinicaltrials.gov; NCT01517503. Registered 25 January 2012 - Retrospectively registered, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01517503?term=NCT01517503&rank=1

scholarly journals One year follow-up and mediation in cognitive behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy for adult depression

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacqueline G. L. A-Tjak ◽  
Nexhmedin Morina ◽  
Maurice Topper ◽  
Paul M. G. Emmelkamp
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment Therapy ◽  
Experiential Avoidance ◽  
Behavioral Therapy ◽  
Dysfunctional Attitudes ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment

Abstract Background Existing therapies for depression are effective, but many patients fail to recover or relapse. To improve care for patients, more research into the effectiveness and working mechanisms of treatments is needed. We examined the long-term efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), testing the hypothesis that CBT outperforms ACT and that both therapies work through their designated mechanisms of change. Methods We conducted a randomized controlled trial with 82 patients suffering from MDD. Data were collected before, during and after treatment, and at 12-month follow-up, assessing symptoms of depression, quality of life, dysfunctional attitudes, decentering, and experiential avoidance. Results Patients in both conditions reported significant and large reductions of depressive symptoms (d = − 1.26 to − 1.60) and improvement in quality of life (d = 0.91 to − 1.28) 12 months following treatment. Our findings indicated no significant differences between the two interventions. Dysfunctional attitudes and decentering mediated treatment effects of depressive symptoms in both CBT and ACT, whereas experiential avoidance mediated treatment effects in ACT only. Conclusions Our results indicate that CBT is not more effective in treating depression than ACT. Both treatments seem to work through changes in dysfunctional attitudes and decentering, even though the treatments differ substantially. Change in experiential avoidance as an underlying mechanism seems to be an ACT-specific process. Further research is needed to investigate whether ACT and CBT may work differently for different groups of patients with depression. Trial registration clinicaltrials.gov; NCT01517503. Registered 25 January 2012 - Retrospectively registered.

scholarly journals One year follow-up and mediation in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for adult depression

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacqueline G.L. A-Tjak ◽  
Nexhmedin Morina ◽  
Maurice Topper ◽  
Paul M.G. Emmelkamp
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment Therapy ◽  
Experiential Avoidance ◽  
Behavioral Therapy ◽  
Dysfunctional Attitudes ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment

Abstract Background Existing therapies for depression are effective, but many patients fail to recover or relapse. To improve care for patients, more research into the effectiveness and working mechanisms of treatments is needed. We examined the long-term efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), testing the hypothesis that CBT outperforms ACT and that both therapies work through their designated mechanisms of change.Methods We conducted a randomized controlled trial with 82 patients suffering from MDD. Data were collected before, during and after treatment, and at 12-month follow-up, assessing symptoms of depression, quality of life, dysfunctional attitudes, decentering , and experiential avoidance.Results Patients in both conditions reported significant and large reductions of depressive symptoms (d = -1.26 to -1.60) and improvement in quality of life (d = 0.91 to -1.28) 12 months following treatment. Our findings indicated no significant differences between the two interventions. Dysfunctional attitudes and decentering mediated treatment effects of depressive symptoms in both CBT and ACT, whereas experiential avoidance mediated treatment effects in ACT only. Conclusions Our results indicate that CBT is not more effective in treating depression than ACT. Both treatments seem to work through changes in dysfunctional attitudes and decentering, even though the treatments differ substantially. Change in experiential avoidance as an underlying mechanism seems to be an ACT-specific process. Further research is needed to investigate whether ACT and CBT may work differently for different groups of patients with depression.Trial registration clinicaltrials.gov; NCT01517503. Registered 25 January 2012 - Retrospectively registered, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01517503?term=NCT01517503&rank=1

Acceptance and commitment therapy as guided self-help for psychological distress and positive mental health: a randomized controlled trial

2011 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 485-495 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Fledderus ◽  
E. T. Bohlmeijer ◽  
M. E. Pieterse ◽  
K. M. G. Schreurs
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment Therapy ◽  
Experiential Avoidance ◽  
Depressive Symptomatology ◽  
Positive Mental Health ◽  
The Self ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Self Help ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment

BackgroundIn order to reduce the high prevalence of depression, early interventions for people at risk of depression are warranted. This study evaluated the effectiveness of an early guided self-help programme based on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for reducing depressive symptomatology.MethodParticipants with mild to moderate depressive symptomatology were recruited from the general population and randomized to the self-help programme with extensive email support (n=125), the self-help programme with minimal email support (n=125) or to a waiting list control group (n=126). Participants completed measures before and after the intervention to assess depression, anxiety, fatigue, experiential avoidance, positive mental health and mindfulness. Participants in the experimental conditions also completed these measures at a 3-month follow-up.ResultsIn the experimental conditions significant reductions in depression, anxiety, fatigue, experiential avoidance and improvements in positive mental health and mindfulness were found, compared with the waiting list condition (effect sizes Cohen's d=0.51–1.00). These effects were sustained at the 3-month follow-up. There were no significant differences between the experimental conditions on the outcome measures.ConclusionsThe ACT-based self-help programme with minimal email support is effective for people with mild to moderate depressive symptomatology.

scholarly journals A Pilot Study Examining the Effect of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as Parent Counseling

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 978-988
Author(s):  
Denise H. M. Bodden ◽  
Denise Matthijssen
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment Therapy ◽  
Psychological Flexibility ◽  
Parental Psychopathology ◽  
Parenting Behavior ◽  
Parental Competence ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment ◽  
Parent Counseling ◽  
Parent Child

AbstractThere is some scientific evidence to support the applicability and preliminary effects of ACT as a parent intervention but more research is needed. In this pilot research, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is provided as a parent counseling therapy in order to increase psychological flexibility which in turn helps parents to choose attuned parenting behavior, invest in a helpful parent-child relationship, deal with feelings of incompetence, and cope with their own psychopathology. ACT parent counseling is developed for parents of children (3–18 years old) with psychiatric problems. The mean age of the parents (n = 101) was 47.1 years (range = 30–66). A repeated measures design was used including pretreatment, posttreatment, and 6-month follow-up measurements. The main outcomes were ACT measures (psychological flexibility, parental psychological inflexibility, and cognitive fusion). Secondary outcomes included parenting behavior, the quality of the parent-child interaction, parental competence, parental psychopathology, and the satisfaction with the treatment program. This is the first study we know of that showed statistically significant improvements on parental psychological flexibility, parenting behavior (except behavioral control), parent-child relations, parental competence, and parental internalizing psychopathology directly after treatment. At 6-month follow-up, significantly less conflicts, more parental competence, and less parental psychopathology was found. However, the improvements were not clinically significant, as calculated with the RCI. No control group was used in this uncontrolled pilot study but preliminary findings indicate that ACT parent counseling can help parents to increase psychological flexibility in order to choose more flexible and effective parenting behavior.

A Simultaneous Cluster Analysis of Cognitive, Emotional, and Personality Factors and Insomnia and Sleep Quality Among Earthquake Victims

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 745-752 ◽  
Author(s):  
Habibolah Khazaie ◽  
Ali Zakiei ◽  
Saeid Komasi
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Sleep Quality ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Experiential Avoidance ◽  
Dysfunctional Attitudes ◽  
Personality Factors ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Significant Difference

ABSTRACTObjectiveThe current study compares the measures of sleep quality and intensity of insomnia based on the clustering analysis of variables including dysfunctional beliefs and attitudes about sleep, experiential avoidance, personality traits of neuroticism, and complications with emotion regulation among the individuals struck by an earthquake in Kermanshah Province.MethodsThis study is a cross-sectional study that was carried out among earthquake victims of Kermanshah Province (western Iran) in 2017. Data were gathered starting 10 days after the earthquake and lasted for 2 weeks; of 1,200 standard questionnaires distributed, 1,001 responses were received, and the analysis was performed using 999 participants. The data analysis was carried out using a cluster analysis (K-mean method).ResultsTwo clusters were identified, and there is a significant difference between these two clusters in regard to all of the variables. The cluster with higher mean values for the selected variables shows a higher intensity of insomnia and a lower sleep quality.ConclusionsConsidering the current results, it can be concluded that variables of dysfunctional attitudes and beliefs about sleep, experiential avoidance, the personality traits of neuroticism, and complications with emotion regulation are able to identify the clusters where there is a significant difference in regard to sleep quality and the intensity of insomnia. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2019;13:745–752)

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