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As soon as a patient comes to know that he/she has cancer, the stress starts and psychological intervention is required. The authors assessed how well a cancer patient can manage stress over the course of the psychological intervention. Data was collected among 107 patients during pre and post intervention and at 2 months follow-up. Intervention was required to measures include acceptance of the disease, managing stress, well -being, and meaning of life. Finally, effects of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) were defined in acceptance measured in terms of a significant difference between pre and post intervention scores in the meaning of life and the acceptance level. This acceptance and commitment therapy can be an effective intervention approach for cancer patients that increases acceptance regarding disease and simultaneously leads to improvement in the meaning of life.

Depression and obesity frequently co-occur, but providing adequate treatment to depressed obese women is challenging because existing treatments for each problem in isolation are suboptimal, and treatments to address one problem may exacerbate the other. This study used an uncontrolled, pretreatment-to-posttreatment design, with 3-month follow-up, to evaluate the feasibility and outcome of a novel, self-acceptance-based treatment for obese women with depression, "Accept Yourself!" Accept Yourself! is an 11-week manualized, group-based intervention that integrates Health At Every Size (an evidence-based paradigm to enhance physical health) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (an evidence-based psychotherapy often used to treat depression and eating-related concerns) to improve the physical and mental health of obese, depressed women without encouraging weight loss. Twenty-one obese women with Major Depressive Disorder received the intervention; 18 completed at least seven sessions, a minimal dose of the intervention. Depressive symptoms, depression diagnosis, physical health outcomes (including physical activity and blood pressure), and obesity-related quality of life were assessed at baseline, posttreatment, and 3-month follow-up. Weight was also monitored. Depression, blood pressure, and obesity-related quality of life significantly improved from pretreatment to posttreatment, and improvements were sustained over a 3-month follow-up. Participants did not gain significant weight during the intervention or at follow-up. These data, although preliminary and nonexperimental, suggest that Accept Yourself! could be a promising treatment for obese, depressed women, and support the value of larger randomized controlled trials. (PsycINFO Database Record, ((c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).)

Introduction: Although engagement is generally predictive of positive outcomes in technology-based behavioral change interventions, engagement measures remain largely atheoretical and lack treatment-specificity. This study examines the extent to which adherence measures based on the underlying behavioral change theory of an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) app for smoking cessation predict smoking outcomes, and user characteristics associated with adherence., Methods: Study sample was adult daily smokers in a single arm pilot study (n=84). Using the app's log file data, we examined measures of adherence to four key components of the ACT behavior change model as predictors of smoking cessation and reduction. We also examined baseline user characteristics associated with adherence measures that predict smoking cessation., Results: Fully adherent users (24%) were over four times more likely to quit smoking (OR=4.45; 95% CI=1.13, 17.45; p=0.032). Both an increase in tracking the number of urges passed (OR=1.02; 95% CI=1.00, 1.03; p=0.043) and ACT modules completed (OR=1.27; 95% CI=1.01, 1.60; p=0.042) predicted cessation. Lower baseline acceptance of cravings was associated with over four times higher odds of full adherence (OR=4.59; 95% CI=1.35, 15.54; p=0.014)., Conclusions: Full adherence and use of specific ACT theory-based components of the app predicted quitting. Consistent with ACT theory, users with low acceptance were most likely to adhere to the app. Further research is needed on ways to promote app engagement., (Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can be effective in treating anxiety disorders, yet there has been no study on Internet-delivered ACT for social anxiety disorder (SAD) and panic disorder (PD), nor any study investigating whether therapist guidance is superior to unguided self-help when supplemented with a smartphone application. In the current trial, n=152 participants diagnosed with SAD and/or PD were randomized to therapist-guided or unguided treatment, or a waiting-list control group. Both treatment groups used an Internet-delivered ACT-based treatment program and a smartphone application. Outcome measures were self-rated general and social anxiety and panic symptoms. Treatment groups saw reduced general (d=0.39) and social anxiety (d=0.70), but not panic symptoms (d=0.05) compared to the waiting-list group, yet no differences in outcomes were observed between guided and unguided interventions. We conclude that Internet-delivered ACT is appropriate for treating SAD and potentially PD. Smartphone applications may partially compensate for lack of therapist support., (Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Individuals with public speaking anxiety (PSA) experience fear and avoidance that can cause extreme distress, impaired speaking performance, and associated problems in psychosocial functioning. Most extant interventions for PSA emphasize anxiety reduction rather than enhancing behavioral performance. We compared the efficacy of two brief cognitive-behavioral interventions, a traditional cognitive-behavior treatment (tCBT) and an acceptance-based behavior treatment (ABBT), on public speaking performance and anxiety in a clinical sample of persons with PSA. The effects of treatment on prefrontal brain activation were also examined. Participants (n = 21) were randomized to 90 min of an ABBT or a tCBT intervention. Assessments took place at pre- and post-treatment and included self-rated anxiety and observer-rated performance measures, a behavioral assessment, and prefrontal cortical activity measurements using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Exploratory results indicated that participants in the ABBT condition experienced greater improvements in observer-rated performance relative to those in the tCBT condition, while those in the tCBT condition experienced greater reductions in subjective anxiety levels. Individuals in the ABBT condition also exhibited a trend toward greater treatment-related reductions in blood volume in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex relative to those who received tCBT. Overall, these findings preliminarily suggest that acceptance-based treatments may free more cognitive resources in comparison with tCBT, possibly resulting in greater improvements in objectively rated behavioral performances for ABBT interventions., (© The Author(s) 2016.)

Background: The need for effective interventions to improve mental health and emotional well-being at a population level are gaining prominence both in the United Kingdom and globally. Advances in technology and widespread adoption of Internet capable devices have facilitated rapid development of Web-delivered psychological therapies. Interventions designed to manage a range of affective disorders by applying diverse therapeutic approaches are widely available., Objective: The main aim of this review was to evaluate the evidence base of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) in a Web-based delivery format., Method: A systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis was conducted. Two electronic databases were searched for Web-delivered interventions utilizing ACT for the management of affective disorders or well-being. Only Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) were included., Results: The search strategy identified 59 articles. Of these, 10 articles met the inclusion criteria specified. The range of conditions and outcome measures that were identified limited the ability to draw firm conclusions about the efficacy of Web-delivered ACT-based intervention for anxiety or well-being., Conclusions: ACT in a Web-based delivery format was found to be effective in the management of depression. Rates of adherence to study protocols and completion were high overall suggesting that this therapeutic approach is highly acceptable for patients and the general public., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: None declared.

To date, most early intervention programs have been based on emotion regulation strategies that address dysfunctional cognitive appraisals, problem-solving skills, and rumination. Another emotion regulation strategy, 'acceptance' training, has largely been overlooked. To examine the efficacy of this strategy, a school-based mental health program combining positive psychology with acceptance and commitment therapy (Strong Minds) was evaluated in a randomized controlled trial with a sample of 267 Year 10 and 11 high-school students in Sydney, Australia. Mixed models for repeated measures examined whether the program led to reductions in symptoms amongst students who commenced the program with high depression, anxiety, and stress scores, and increased wellbeing scores amongst all students. Results demonstrated that compared to controls, participants in the Strong Minds condition with elevated symptom scores (n=63) reported significant reductions in depression (p=.047), stress (p=.01), and composite depression/anxiety symptoms (p=.02) with medium to strong effect sizes (Cohen's d=0.53, 0.74, and 0.57, respectively). Increased wellbeing (p=.03) in the total sample and decreased anxiety scores (p=.048) for students with elevated symptoms were significant for Year 10 students with medium effect sizes (Cohen's d=0.43 and 0.54, respectively). This study tentatively suggests that including the emotion regulation strategy of acceptance in early intervention programs may be effective in reducing symptoms and improving wellbeing in high school students. Further research to investigate the generalizability of these findings is warranted., (Copyright © 2016 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Body dissatisfaction among college women is concerning given its high prevalence and associated negative consequences. While cognitive-behavioral approaches to reducing body dissatisfaction have considerable support, it may be beneficial to target the problematic relationship that some individuals have with their internal experiences., Aims: To examine the relative efficacy of an acceptance-based compared to a cognitive restructuring approach to targeting body dissatisfaction., Method: College women were randomly assigned to an acceptance (n = 21), cognitive restructuring (n = 21) or a neutral comparison condition (n = 24). Participants completed a body dissatisfaction challenge postintervention and their dissatisfaction, distress about body-related thoughts and emotions, and the extent they felt defined by their outward appearance were measured., Results: Both approaches provided a protective effect against decreases in body satisfaction and related feelings., Conclusion: Acceptance and CBT approaches to treating body dissatisfaction are worthy of future investigation.

Rigorous evaluations of cognitive behavioral self-help books for anxiety in pure self-help contexts are lacking. The present study evaluated the effectiveness of an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) self-help workbook for anxiety-related concerns, with no therapist contact, in an international sample. Participants (N=503; 94% mental health diagnosis) were randomized to an immediate workbook (n=256) or wait-list condition (n=247). Assessments at pretreatment, 12weeks, 6months, and 9months evaluated anxiety and related symptoms, quality of life, and ACT treatment processes (e.g., psychological flexibility). Participants in the wait-list arm crossed over to the workbook following the 12-week assessment. The workbook condition yielded significant improvements on all assessments from pre- to posttreatment relative to wait-list, and these gains were maintained at follow-ups. The pattern observed in the wait-list condition was virtually identical to the active treatment arm after receiving the workbook, but not before. Attrition was notable, but supplemental analyses suggested dropout did not influence treatment effects for all but one measure. Overall, findings provide preliminary support for the effectiveness of this self-help workbook and suggest ACT-based self-help bibliotherapy might be a promising low-cost intervention for people experiencing significant anxiety-related concerns., (Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Introduction: Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a common condition and source of significant suffering, disability and healthcare costs. Current physiotherapy treatment is moderately effective. Combining theory-based psychological methods with physiotherapy could improve outcomes for people with CLBP. The primary aim of this randomised controlled trial (RCT) is to evaluate the efficacy of Physiotherapy informed by Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (PACT) on functioning in patients with CLBP., Methods and Analysis: The PACT trial is a two-armed, parallel-group, multicentre RCT to assess the efficacy of PACT in comparison with usual physiotherapy care (UC). 240 patients referred to physiotherapy with CLBP will be recruited from three National Health Service (NHS) hospitals trusts. Inclusion criteria are: age ≥18 years, CLBP ≥12-week duration, scoring ≥3 points on the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ) and adequate understanding of spoken and written English to participate. Patients will be randomised to PACT or UC (120 per arm stratified by centre) by an independent randomisation service and followed up at 3 and 12 months post randomisation. The sample size of 240 will provide adequate power to detect a standardised mean difference of 0.40 in the primary outcome (RMDQ; 5% significance, 80% power) assuming attrition of 20%. Analysis will be by intention to treat conducted by the trial statistician, blind to treatment group, following a prespecified analysis plan. Estimates of treatment effect at the follow-up assessments will use an intention-to-treat framework, implemented using a linear mixed-effects model., Ethics and Dissemination: This trial has full ethical approval (14/SC/0277). It will be disseminated via peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations. The results will enable clinicians, patients and health service managers to make informed decisions regarding the efficacy of PACT for patients with CLBP., Trial Registration Number: ISRCTN95392287; Pre-results., (Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/)

Purpose: The evidence for the effectiveness of psychological interventions for cancer patients is currently unclear. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which increases individual's levels of psychological flexibility, may be more effective than other frameworks of psychological intervention, but good quality research is needed to inform adoption and implementation. This study explored the correlation between psychological flexibility and patient-reported outcomes to assess the viability of this intervention for cancer survivors., Methods: Recruitment was coordinated through a regional cancer centre. One hundred twenty-nine respondents completed a cross-sectional postal questionnaire. They were of mixed gender, diagnosis and cancer stage; a mean 61 years old; and a mean 207 days post-diagnosis. Self-report questionnaires assessed psychological flexibility, mood, anxiety, depression, stress, quality of life and benefit finding., Results: Psychological flexibility was a strong and consistent correlate of outcome; effects were maintained even when potentially confounding clinical and sociodemographic characteristics were controlled., Conclusions: Psychological flexibility can be modified through ACT-based interventions. Given the strong correlational evidence found in this study, it seems that such interventions might be useful for cancer survivors. High-quality and well-designed controlled trials are now needed to establish effectiveness.

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder affecting about 1 in 3,500 individuals. Chronic pain is commonly reported among individuals with NF1 and plexiform neurofibroma tumors (PNs). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), an empirically supported method for addressing chronic pain, helps individuals re-focus on valued relationships and activities. This pilot study investigated the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a brief ACT workshop in the NF1 population. Eligible participants included adolescents and young adults (AYA; 12-21 years) with NF1 and chronic pain that interfered with daily functioning and their parents. Patients and parents completed baseline measures of pain interference, pain intensity, functional disability, pain acceptance, depression, and anxiety. Then, AYA and parents participated separately in a 2-day small-group ACT workshop. A telephone booster session occurred 1 month post-intervention. Three-month post-treatment measures were completed by mail. Ten adolescents (4 males; M age = 16.9 years) and seven parents provided baseline and 3-month data. Mean satisfaction with the study was moderate to high (3.9 for patients and 4.6 for parents on a 1-5 scales). Patients and parents reported significant declines in patients' pain interference at 3 months post-treatment. Patient-reported pain intensity significantly declined from baseline to 3 months. Parents reported marginally greater acceptance of their child's pain. No changes emerged in functional ability or mood. Preliminary findings suggest that a brief ACT group intervention is feasible and may help AYA with NF1 and PNs cope with their chronic pain, although larger randomized studies are needed to confirm treatment efficacy. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., (© 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Many have proposed that Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) may be particularly effective for improving outcomes in chronic disease/long-term conditions, and ACT techniques are now being used clinically. However, reviews of ACT in this context are lacking, and the state of evidence is unclear. This systematic review aimed to: collate all ACT interventions with chronic disease/long-term conditions, evaluate their quality, and comment on efficacy. Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE and Psych Info were searched. Studies with solely mental health or chronic pain populations were excluded. Study quality was then rated, with a proportion re-rated by a second researcher. Eighteen studies were included: eight were randomised controlled trials (RCTs), four used pre-post designs, and six were case studies. A broad range of applications was observed (e.g. improving quality of life and symptom control, reducing distress) across many diseases/conditions (e.g. HIV, cancer, epilepsy). However, study quality was generally low, and many interventions were of low intensity. The small number of RCTs per application and lower study quality emphasise that ACT is not yet a well-established intervention for chronic disease/long-term conditions. However, there was some promising data supporting certain applications: parenting of children with long-term conditions, seizure-control in epilepsy, psychological flexibility, and possibly disease self-management., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Hair pulling disorder (HPD; trichotillomania) is thought to be associated with significant psychiatric comorbidity and functional impairment. However, few methodologically rigorous studies of HPD have been conducted, rendering such conclusions tenuous. The following study examined comorbidity and psychosocial functioning in a well-characterized sample of adults with HPD (N=85) who met DSM-IV criteria, had at least moderate hair pulling severity, and participated in a clinical trial. Results revealed that 38.8% of individuals with HPD had another current psychiatric diagnosis and 78.8% had another lifetime (present and/or past) psychiatric diagnosis. Specifically, HPD showed substantial overlap with depressive, anxiety, addictive, and other body-focused repetitive behavior disorders. The relationships between certain comorbidity patterns, hair pulling severity, current mood and anxiety symptoms, and quality of life were also examined. Results showed that current depressive symptoms were the only predictor of quality of life deficits. Implications of these findings for the conceptualization and treatment of HPD are discussed., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) has been demonstrated to be effective in reducing depressive symptoms. However, little is known how and for whom therapeutic change occurs, specifically in web-based interventions. This study focuses on the mediators, moderators and predictors of change during a web-based ACT intervention., Methods: Data from 236 adults from the general population with mild to moderate depressive symptoms, randomized to either web-based ACT (n = 82) or one of two control conditions (web-based Expressive Writing (EW; n = 67) and a waiting list (n = 87)), were analysed. Single and multiple mediation analyses, and exploratory linear regression analyses were performed using PROCESS and linear regression analyses, to examine mediators, moderators and predictors on pre- to post- and follow-up treatment change of depressive symptoms., Results: The treatment effect of ACT versus the waiting list was mediated by psychological flexibility and two mindfulness facets. The treatment effect of ACT versus EW was not significantly mediated. The moderator analyses demonstrated that the effects of web-based ACT did not vary according to baseline patient characteristics when compared to both control groups. However, higher baseline depressive symptoms and positive mental health and lower baseline anxiety were identified as predictors of outcome across all conditions. Similar results are found for follow-up., Conclusions: The findings of this study corroborate the evidence that psychological flexibility and mindfulness are distinct process mechanisms that mediate the effects of web-based ACT intervention. The results indicate that there are no restrictions to the allocation of web-based ACT intervention and that web-based ACT can work for different subpopulations., Trial Registration: Netherlands Trial Register NTR2736 . Registered 6 February 2011.

Focused Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (FACT) is a brief intervention based on traditional Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Although there is a growing body of research on the efficacy of ACT for a variety of populations and disorders, there is little research to date on the use of FACT in group settings. This project is 1 of the first of its kind, as it examines data on psychological flexibility, health and mental health status, and symptom reduction from a 4-week FACT group. Participants in this study were 51 patients who attended this group as part of routine clinical care in a VA integrated primary care and mental health setting. They completed pre- and posttreatment measures of well-being, depression, anxiety, stress, psychological flexibility, and perceptions of physical and mental health functioning. Pre- to posttreatment analyses of variance demonstrated large effects for quality of life, F(1, 51) = 21.29, p < .001, η2 = 0.30, moderate effects for depressive symptoms, F(1, 51) = 11.47, p < .001, η2 = 0.08, and perceptions of mental health functioning (MCS scale), F(1, 51) = 9.67, p = .003, η2 = 0.11, and small effects for perceptions of perceived stress, F(1, 51) = 4.08, p = .04, η2 = 0.03, and physical health functioning (PCS scale), F(1, 51) = 6.60, p = .01, η2 = 0.08. There was a statistical trend for reductions in anxiety, F(1, 51) = 3.29, p = .07, η2 = 0.01, and a nonsignificant effect for psychological flexibility, F(1, 51) = 2.05, p = .16, η2 = 0.04. These data provide initial support for the implementation of a group-based FACT protocol within a VA primary care setting and help to lay a foundation for further, more controlled studies on Group FACT in future research. (PsycINFO Database Record, ((c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).)

Objective: We aimed to examine the effect of emotion regulation training in patients with panic disorder (PD) by measuring heart rate variability (HRV)., Methods: Forty-eight patients with PD were randomly divided into emotion regulation group (n=25) and no-regulation group (n=23). Three five-minute ECG recordings were taken in the following states: 1) baseline, 2) while subjects viewed 15 aversive pictures (active stimulus), 3) resting state after aversive pictures (post-stimulus). The emotion regulation group briefly received acceptance technique training for five minutes before performing the experimental task. Spectral analysis measures included a high-frequency (HF; 0.15-0.4 HZ) component, a low-frequency (LF; 0.04-0.15Hz) component, and an LF/HF ratio., Results: The mean change in LF/HF ratio from baseline to active stimulus was significantly lower in the emotion regulation group than in the no-regulation group (emotion regulation group, 0.13; no-regulation group, 2.31; t=-2.67; P<.05)., Conclusion: This suggests that brief emotion acceptance training could decrease aversive stimulus-induced sympathetic hyperactivity in patients with PD., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) has been effectively utilized to treat both chronic pain and substance use disorder independently. Given these results and the vital need to treat the comorbidity of the two disorders, a pilot ACT treatment was implemented in individuals with comorbid chronic pain and opioid addiction. This pilot study supported using neurophysiology to characterize treatment effects and revealed that, following ACT, participants with this comorbidity exhibited reductions in brain activation due to painful stimulus and in connectivity at rest., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: One of the primary differences between Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for anxiety is the approach to managing negative thoughts. CBT focuses on challenging the accuracy of dysfunctional thoughts through cognitive restructuring exercises, whereas ACT attempts to foster acceptance of such thoughts through cognitive defusion exercises. Previous research suggests that both techniques reduce the distress associated with negative thoughts, though questions remain regarding the benefit of these techniques above and beyond exposure to feared stimuli., Aims: In the present study, we conducted a brief experimental intervention to examine the utility of cognitive defusion + in-vivo exposure, cognitive restructuring + in-vivo exposure, and in-vivo exposure alone in reducing the impact of negative thoughts in patients with social anxiety disorder., Method: All participants completed a brief public speaking exposure and those in the cognitive conditions received training in the assigned cognitive technique. Participants returned a week later to complete a second exposure task and self-report measures., Results: All three conditions resulted in similar decreases in discomfort related to negative thoughts. ANOVA models failed to find an interaction between change in accuracy or importance and assignment to condition in predicting decreased distress of negative thoughts., Conclusions: These preliminary results suggest that changes in perceived importance and accuracy of negative thoughts may not be the mechanisms by which cognitive defusion and cognitive restructuring affect distress in the short-term.

The current study presents findings from an acceptance and commitment therapy-based intervention for family carers of children who have an intellectual/developmental disability and display high levels of challenging behaviour. The parent well-being workshops consist of two workshops incorporating acceptance and mindfulness-based exercises and discussions. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five family carers following attendance of the workshops. Participants found the workshops useful and reported that they were better able to cope with stress. They also described how they had incorporated mindfulness into their daily lives and how their practice had had positive effects on their own well-being and on those around them (e.g. their child). Implications of the findings are discussed with emphasis on how the workshops can be included within a positive behaviour support framework. Future directions include a more robust quantitative evaluation, inclusion of follow-up sessions and the application of the workshops with other client groups and in other delivery formats., (© The Author(s) 2015.)

Stress, anxiety and depression are relatively common problems among university students. This study examined whether an online psychological intervention aiming at enhancing the wellbeing of university students could be an effective and practical alternative for meeting the needs of a university population. University students (N = 68; 85% female; 19-32 years old) were randomly assigned to either a guided seven-week online Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (iACT) intervention or a waiting list control condition (WLC). A between-groups pre-post (iACT vs WLC) design with 12-month follow-up for the iACT participants was conducted. The intervention participants were offered two face-to-face meetings, completed online exercises during a five-week period, and received personal weekly written feedback via the website from their randomly assigned, trained student coaches. Waitlist participants were offered the intervention program soon after the post measurements. Results in this small efficacy trial showed that the iACT participants had significantly higher gains in wellbeing (between group, d = 0.46), life satisfaction (d = 0.65), and mindfulness skills (d = 0.49). In addition, iACT participants' self-reported stress (d = 0.54) and symptoms of depression (d = 0.69) were significantly reduced compared to the participants in the control group. These benefits were maintained over a 12-month follow-up period (within iACT group, d = 0.65-0.69, for primary measures). The results suggest that an online-based, coach-guided ACT program with blended face-to-face and online sessions could be an effective and well-accepted alternative for enhancing the wellbeing of university students., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: This study sought to test the feasibility of a web-based Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) prototype prevention program called ACT on College Life (ACT-CL)., Method: A sample of 234 university students was randomized to either the ACT-CL website or a mental health education (MHE) website., Results: Findings indicated a lower level of user engagement and satisfaction ratings with the prototype of ACT-CL than the MHE website. There were no significant differences between conditions on outcome measures at post or follow-up. However, statistical trends suggested the MHE condition actually led to greater remission of severe symptoms than the ACT-CL condition among those with severe symptoms at baseline. There were no differences between conditions on ACT process of change measures. Changes in psychological flexibility were predictive of changes in mental health across conditions, but relations dissipated over time. Furthermore, greater engagement in some components of ACT-CL predicted improvements in psychological flexibility, though not on mental health outcomes., Conclusions: The effects of the ACT-CL program on mental health outcomes and ACT process measures were largely equivalent to those of an education website, although there was a lower level of program engagement with ACT-CL. Findings are discussed in the context of feasibility issues and lessons learned for program revisions., (© 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: Acceptance and commitment therapy has shown to be effective in chronic pain rehabilitation, and acceptance has been shown to be a key process of change. The influence of treatment dose on acceptance is not clear, and in particular, the effectiveness of a non-intensive treatment (<20 h) in a tertiary pain clinic is required., Purpose: The purpose of the study was to assess the effectiveness of a low-intensity, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) group program for chronic pain. The study sought to compare, at both groups and individual patient levels, changes in acceptance with changes observed in previous ACT studies., Methods: Seventy-one individuals with chronic pain commenced a 9-week ACT-based group program at an outpatient chronic pain service. In addition to acceptance, outcomes included the following: pain catastrophizing, depression, anxiety, quality of life, and pain-related anxiety. To compare the current findings with previous research, effect sizes from seven studies were aggregated using the random-effects model to calculate benchmarks. Reliable change indices (RCIs) were applied to assess change on an individual patient-level., Results: The ACT intervention achieved a statistically significant increase in acceptance and medium effect size (d = 0.54) at a group level. Change in acceptance was of a similar magnitude to that found in previous ACT studies that examined interventions with similar treatment hours (<20 h). Results across other outcome measures demonstrated small to medium effect sizes (d = 0.01 to 0.48, mean = 0.26). Reliable improvement in acceptance occurred in approximately one-third (37.2, 90% CI) of patients. Approximately three-quarters (74.3, 90% CI) demonstrated reliable change in at least one of the outcome measures., Conclusions: The low-intensity, group-based ACT intervention was effective at a group level and showed a similar magnitude of change in acceptance to previous ACT studies employing low-intensity interventions. Three-quarters of patients reported reliable change on at least one outcome measure.

A modular, transdiagnostic approach to treatment design and implementation may increase the public health impact of evidence-based psychosocial interventions. Such an approach relies on algorithms for selecting and implementing treatment components intended to have a specific therapeutic effect, yet there is little evidence for how components function independent of their treatment packages when employed in clinical service settings. This study aimed to demonstrate the specificity of treatment effects for two components of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), a promising candidate for modularization. A randomized, nonconcurrent, multiple-baseline across participants design was used to examine component effects on treatment processes and outcomes in 15 adults seeking mental health treatment. The ACT OPEN module targeted acceptance and cognitive defusion; the ACT ENGAGED module targeted values-based activation and persistence. According to Tau-U analyses, both modules produced significant improvements in psychiatric symptoms, quality of life, and targeted therapeutic processes. ACT ENGAGED demonstrated greater improvements in quality of life and values-based activation. ACT OPEN showed greater improvements in symptom severity, acceptance, and defusion. Both modules improved awareness and non-reactivity, which were mutually targeted, though using distinct intervention procedures. Both interventions demonstrated high treatment acceptability, completion, and patient satisfaction. Treatment effects were maintained at 3-month follow up. ACT components should be considered for inclusion in a modular approach to implementing evidence-based psychosocial interventions for adults., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is one of the so called "third-wave" cognitive behavioral therapies. It has been increasingly applied to chronic pain, and there is accumulating evidence to support its effectiveness. ACT is based on a model of general human functioning called the psychological flexibility (PF) model. Most facets of the PF model have been examined in chronic pain. However, a potential key facet related to "self" appears underappreciated. Indeed, a positive or healthy sense of self seems essential to our well-being, and there have been numerous studies of the self in chronic pain. At the same time, these studies are not currently well organized or easy to summarize. This lack of clarity and integration creates barriers to progress in this area of research. PF with its explicit inclusion of self-related therapeutic processes within a broad, integrative, theoretical model may help. The current review summarizes the PF model in the context of chronic pain with a specific emphasis on the parts of the model that address self-related processes.

Background: Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is considered effective for chronic pain, but little is known about active treatment components. Although acceptance correlates with better health outcomes in chronic pain patients, no study has examined its mediating effect in an experimental design., Purpose: The aim of the present study is to investigate acceptance as a mediator in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), a third wave CBT intervention, for chronic pain., Method: A bootstrapped cross product of coefficients approach was used on data from a previously published RCT evaluating ACT for chronic pain. To address the specificity of acceptance as a mediator, anxiety and depression were also tested as mediators. Outcome variables were satisfaction with life and physical functioning. Two change scores, pre-assessment to 6-month follow-up (n = 53) and pre-assessment to 12-month follow-up (n = 32), were used., Results: Acceptance was found to mediate the effect of treatment on change in physical functioning from pre-assessment to follow-up at 6 months. Further, a trend was shown from pre-assessment to follow-up at 12 months. No indirect effect of treatment via acceptance was found for change in satisfaction with life., Conclusion: This study adds to a small but growing body of research using mediation analysis to investigate mediating factors in the treatment of chronic pain. In summary, the results suggest that acceptance may have a mediating effect on change in physical functioning in ACT for persons with chronic pain. However, given the small sample size of the study, these findings need to be replicated.

Objective: Recent studies support the efficacy of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) with people with chronic pain. In addition, Selective Optimization with Compensation strategies (SOC) can help the elderly with chronic pain to accept their chronic condition and increase functional autonomy. Our aim was to analyze the efficacy of an ACT treatment program combined with training in SOC strategies for elderly people with chronic pain living in nursing homes., Methods: 101 participants (mean age = 82.26; SD = 10.00; 78.6% female) were randomized to the intervention condition (ACT-SOC) or to a minimal support group (MS). Complete data are available for 53 participants (ACT-SOC: n = 27; MS: n = 26). Assessments of functional performance, pain intensity, pain acceptance, SOC strategies, emotional well being and catastrophizing beliefs were done preintervention and postintervention., Results: Significant time by intervention changes (P = 0.05) were found in acceptance, pain related anxiety, compensation strategies, and pain interference in walking ability. Simple effects changes were found in acceptance (P = 0.01), selection strategies (P = 0.05), catastrophizing beliefs (P = 0.03), depressive symptoms (P = 0.05), pain anxiety (P = 0.01) and pain interference in mood and walking ability (P = 0.03) in the ACT-SOC group. No significant changes were found in the MS group., Conclusions: These results suggest that an ACT intervention combined with training in SOC strategies could help older people with pain to improve their emotional well being and their functional capability.

Engagement in valued activities is an important outcome, particularly in treatments that aim to enhance quality of life in those with chronic conditions. The present study describes the initial evaluation of the Values Tracker (VT), a two-item measure of values engagement, in 302 treatment-seeking adults with chronic pain. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to examine the utility of the VT in the statistical prediction of pain-related functioning, after controlling for demographic variables, pain intensity, and pain-related distress. Across analyses, pain intensity accounted for significant variance (range ΔR2 = .06-.09) with pain-related distress adding additional unique variance (range ΔR2 = .07-.19). The VT accounted for additional unique variance (range ΔR2 = .02-.17) for all variables with the exception of physical disability. These findings provide initial support for the utility of the VT in those with chronic pain. Given the VT's brevity, it may be particularly useful for tracking changes in engagement in values across sessions., (© The Author(s) 2015.)

Background: Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) increases the psychological exibility of people afflicted with cancer, and consequently improves their adaptability. The present research was conducted with the aim of determining the effectiveness of ACT for people afflicted with cancer., Materials and Methods: The present research was of semi-pilot type with a pre-test and post-test plan for the proof group. The demographics of the community were composed of all the women with cancer who were under treatment in Tehran's Dehshpour therapeutic center in 2015. The sample was composed of 24 people who were selected as available and chosen randomly in two groups of test and proof. All the participants responded to Snyder questionnaire in two pre-test and post-test stages, and the test group participated in treatment sessions after conducting the pre-test., Results: After collecting the information, data analysis was conducted in two description and inferential levels. The test results of covariance analysis showed that the two groups' hope was meaningfully different. Hope in the test group, compared to the proof group, increased meaningfully., Conclusions: The results show that the ACT is effective in increasing hope of patients with cancer.

Background: Severe health anxiety is frequent and costly, yet rarely diagnosed or treated. Earlier treatment studies show problems with recruitment, dropout and recovery. In the current study, the authors aimed to test the effect of acceptance and commitment group therapy (ACT-G) compared to waitlist in patients with severe health anxiety., Method: During March 2010 to April 2012, 126 consecutively referred patients meeting research criteria for severe health anxiety were block-randomized (1:1) to ACT-G or a 10 months' waitlist (Clinicaltrials.gov, no. NCT01158430). Patients allocated to ACT-G were treated in seven groups of nine patients between December 2010 and October 2012 and received nine weekly 3-h group sessions and a booster session consisting of ACT techniques. The primary outcome was decided a priori as the mean change in self-reported illness worry on the Whiteley-7 Index (WI) from baseline to 10 months' follow-up. Secondary outcomes were improvement in emotional distress and health-related quality of life at 10 months' follow-up., Results: Intention-to-treat analysis showed a statistically significant mean difference of 20.5 points [95% confidence interval (CI) 11.7-29.4, p < 0.001] on the WI between the groups at 10 months, and the between-group effect sizes were large (Cohen's d = 0.89, 95% CI 0.50-1.29). The number needed to treat was 2.4 (95% CI 1.4-3.4, p < 0.001). Diagnosis and treatment were well accepted by the patients., Conclusions: ACT-G seems feasible, acceptable and effective in treating severe health anxiety.

Background: Depression is a highly prevalent disorder, causing a large burden of disease and substantial economic costs. Web-based self-help interventions seem promising in promoting mental health., Aims: To compare the efficacy of a guided web-based intervention based on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) with an active control (expressive writing) and a waiting-list control condition (Netherlands Trial Register NTR1296)., Method: Adults with depressive symptoms from the general population were randomised to ACT (n = 82), expressive writing (n = 67) or waiting-list control (n = 87). The main outcome was reduction in depressive symptoms assessed with the Center for Epidemiological Studies - Depression scale., Results: Significant reductions in depressive symptoms were found following the ACT intervention, compared with the control group (Cohen's d = 0.56) and the expressive writing intervention (d = 0.36). The effects were sustained at 6-month and 12-month follow-up., Conclusions: Acceptance and commitment therapy as a web-based public mental health intervention for adults with depressive symptoms can be effective and applicable., (© The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2016.)

This paper provides a basic introduction to using method of levels (MOL) therapy with people experiencing psychosis. As MOL is a direct application of perceptual control theory (PCT), a brief overview of the three main theoretical principles of this theory--control, conflict, and reorganization will be outlined in relation to understanding psychosis. In particular, how these principles form the basis of problem conceptualisation and determine what an MOL therapist is required to do during therapy will be illustrated. A practical description of MOL will be given, using case examples and short excerpts of therapeutic interactions. Some direct contrasts will also be made with cognitive behaviour therapy for psychosis (CBTp) and psychodynamic approaches (PA) in order to help illustrate the theory and practice of MOL.

Background: Little is known about factors that influence participation in smoking cessation trials among Chinese populations. The aim of this study is to explore the characteristics of individuals who chose to participate and those who chose not to participate in a proactive telephone-based acceptance and commitment therapy program for smoking cessation within a Chinese sample, and to identify predictors of program participation. Understanding the factors that predict participation in smoking cessation trials may allow researchers and healthcare professionals to target their recruitment efforts to increase the enrollment of smokers in smoking cessation programs., Methods: Participants were proactively recruited from six primary healthcare centers. Current cigarette smokers were screened for eligibility and then invited to complete a baseline questionnaire for the trial. The differences in characteristics between participants and non-participants as well as factors predictive of participation were analyzed using Chi-square tests and logistics regression., Results: A total of 30,784 clinic attendees were approached. From these, 3,890 (12.6%) smokers were screened and identified. Of the 3,890 smokers, 420 (10.8%) were eligible to participate and completed the baseline questionnaires. The analysis showed that participants (n = 142) and non-participants (n = 278) differed significantly in terms of demographics, smoking-related, and psychological variables. The following characteristics were found to predict program participation: those with a relatively high level of dependence on nicotine (OR = 3.75; 95% CI = 1.25-11.23), those in the contemplation (OR = 7.86; 95% CI = 2.90-21.30) or preparation (OR = 24.81; 95% CI = 8.93-68.96) stages of change, and those who had abstained for one month or less in a previous attempt at quitting (OR = 3.77; 95% CI = 1.68-8.47)., Conclusions: The study shed light on the factors predictive of participation in a counseling-based smoking cessation program among a Chinese population. The results were encouraging, as most significant predictors (e.g., nicotine dependence, stage of change in smoking cessation) can be feasibly addressed or modified with interventions. No significant predictive relationships were found between psycho-social variables or socio-demographic variables and participation. Efforts should be made to increase the enrollment of smokers who are seemingly not yet ready to quit, and to tailor the program to fit the program's participants.

The objective of this study was to determine if introducing acceptance and commitment therapy in the prevention of mother to child HIV transmission (PMTCT) programme using weekly mobile phone messages would result in improved mental health status of HIV-positive, pregnant women in Nigeria. We used a Solomon four-group (two intervention and two control groups) randomised design. The study population was 144 randomly selected, HIV-positive pregnant women attending four randomly selected PMTCT centres in Nigeria. The intervention groups were exposed to one session of acceptance and commitment therapy with weekly value-based health messages sent by mobile phone for three months during pregnancy. The control groups received only post-HIV test counselling. A total of 132 participants (33 per site) were enrolled in the study from the two intervention and two control sites. In the pre-tests, the intervention and control groups did not differ significantly with regard to demographics. Evaluation of the pre- and post-tests of the intervention group indicated significantly higher Action and Acceptance Questionnaire (AAQ-II) scores. The introduction of a mobile phone acceptance and commitment therapy programme may result in greater psychological flexibility in women diagnosed with HIV., (© The Author(s) 2015.)

Background and Objectives: To date, few studies have compared Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for longstanding pain with established treatments. Only 1 study has evaluated the cost-effectiveness of ACT. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of ACT and applied relaxation (AR) for adults with unspecific, longstanding pain., Materials and Methods: On the basis of the inclusion criteria 60 consecutive patients received 12 weekly group sessions of ACT or AR. Data were collected pretreatment, midtreatment, and posttreatment, as well as at 3- and 6-month follow-up. Growth curve modeling was used to analyze treatment effects on pain disability, pain intensity, health-related quality of life (physical domain), anxiety, depression, and acceptance., Results: Significant improvements were seen across conditions (pretreatment to follow-up assessment) on all outcome measures. Pain disability decreased significantly in ACT relative to AR from preassessment to postassessment. A corresponding decrease in pain disability was seen in AR between postassessment and 6-month follow-up. Pain acceptance increased only in ACT, and this effect was maintained at 6-month follow-up. Approximately 20% of the participants achieved clinically significant change after treatment. Health economic analyses showed that ACT was more cost-effective than AR at post and 3-month follow-up assessment, but not at 6-month follow-up., Discussion: More studies investigating moderators and mediators of change are needed. The present study is one of few that have evaluated the cost-effectiveness of ACT and AR and compared ACT with an established behavioral intervention, and the results provide additional support for behavioral interventions for longstanding pain.

This study examined whether acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) enhances treatment as usual (TAU) in improving treatment outcomes in patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and comorbid affective disorder. Fifty-two participants were included in the study, of whom 26 were patients with AUD and either depression or bipolar disorder treated with ACT group therapy in parallel with TAU (inpatient integrated treatment) and 26 were matched controls who had received TAU alone. Drinking and craving outcomes were total alcohol abstinence, cumulative abstinence duration (CAD) and Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale (OCDS) scores at 3 and 6 months postintervention. Affective and anxiety outcomes were Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) scores at these follow-ups. Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics were similar in both groups. Retention rates were high: 100% of the ACT group were followed up at 3 and 6 months; 92.3% and 84.6% of the TAU alone group were followed up at 3 and 6 months, respectively. Patients in the ACT group reported significantly higher CAD at 3 and 6 months, significantly lower BDI and BAI scores at 3 and 6 months, and significantly lower OCDS scores at 3 months, than those who received only TAU. No other significant differences in treatment outcomes were found between the groups. ACT provides added benefit to TAU in improving drinking, craving, depression and anxiety outcomes in patients with AUD and comorbid affective disorder. Most treatment improvements were sustained over a 6-month follow-up period., (Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: Patients diagnosed with a personality disorder (PD) are often stigmatized by the healthcare staff who treat them., Aims: This study aimed to compare the impact on front-line staff of a self-management Acceptance and Commitment Therapy-based training intervention (ACTr) with a knowledge- and skills-based Dialectical Behaviour Training intervention (DBTr)., Method: A service-based randomized controlled trial was conducted comparing the effects of 2-day ACTr (N = 53) and DBTr (N = 47) staff workshops over 6 months. Primary outcome measures were staff attitudes towards patients and staff-patient relationships., Results: For both interventions, staff attitudes, therapeutic relationship, and social distancing all improved pre- to postintervention, and these changes were maintained at 6-month follow-up., Conclusions: Although offering different resources to staff, both ACTr and DBTr were associated with an improved disposition towards PD patients. Future research could evaluate a combined approach, both for staff working with PD patients and those working with other stigmatized groups.

The underlying mechanisms of the effectiveness of cognitive behavioural interventions for chronic pain need further clarification. The role of, and associations between, pain-related psychological flexibility (PF) and pain catastrophizing (PC) were examined during a randomized controlled trial on internet-based Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) for chronic pain. We assessed (1) the unique and combined indirect effects of PF and PC on outcomes, and (2) the causality of relations between PF, PC and the primary outcome pain interference in daily life (MPI) during ACT. A total of 238 pain sufferers were allocated to either ACT, a control condition on Expressive Writing, or a waiting list condition. Non-parametric cross-product of coefficients mediational analyses and cross-lagged panel designs were applied. Compared to control conditions, both baseline to post-intervention changes in PF and PC seemed to uniquely mediate baseline to three-month follow-up changes in pain interference and psychological distress. Only PF mediated changes in pain intensity. Indirect effects were twice as large for PF (κ2 = .09-.19) than for PC (κ² PCS = .05-.10). Further assessment of changes during ACT showed, however, that only PF, and not PC, predicted subsequent changes in MPI, while early and late changes in both PF and PC predicted later changes in each other. In conclusion, only PF functioned as a direct, causal working mechanism during ACT, with larger indirect effects that occurred earlier than changes in PC. Additionally, PC may function as an indirect mechanism of change during ACT for chronic pain via its direct influence on PF., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Low-intensity interventions for people suffering from depressive symptoms are highly desirable. The aim of the present study was to investigate the outcomes of a web-based acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)-based intervention without face-to-face contact for people suffering from depressive symptoms. Participants (N = 39) with depressive symptoms were randomly assigned to an Internet-delivered acceptance and commitment therapy (iACT) intervention or a waiting list control condition (WLC). Participants were evaluated with standardized self-reporting measures (Beck Depression Inventory [BDI-II], Symptom Checklist-90 [SCL-90], Acceptance and Action Questionnaire [AAQ-2], Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire [FFMQ], Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire [ATQ], and White Bear Suppression Inventory [WBSI]) at pre- and post-measurement. Long-term effects in the iACT group were examined using a 12-month follow-up. The iACT program comprised home assignments, online feedback given by master's-level students of psychology over a 7-week intervention period, and automated email-based reminders. Significant effects were observed in favor of the iACT group on depression symptomatology (between effect sizes [ESs] at post-treatment, iACT/WLC, g = .83), psychological and physiological symptoms (g = .60), psychological flexibility (g = .67), mindfulness skills (g = .53), and frequency of automatic thoughts (g = .57) as well as thought suppression (g = .53). The treatment effects in the iACT group were maintained over the 12-month follow-up period (within-iACT ES: BDI-II, g = 1.33; SCL-90, g = 1.04; ATQF/B [Frequency/Believability], FFMQ, WBSI, AAQ-II, g = .74-1.08). The iACT participants stated that they would be happy to recommend the same intervention to others with depressive symptoms. We conclude that an ACT-based guided Internet-delivered treatment with minimal contact can be effective for people with depressive symptoms., (© The Author(s) 2015.)

Objective: This paper examines the effects of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for depression (ACT-D), and the specific effects of experiential acceptance and mindfulness, in reducing suicidal ideation (SI) and depression among Veterans., Method: Patients included 981 Veterans, 76% male, mean age 50.5 years. Depression severity and SI were assessed using the BDI-II. Experiential acceptance and mindfulness were measured with the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II) and the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, respectively., Results: Of the 981 patients, 647 (66.0%) completed 10 or more sessions or finished early due to symptom relief. For Veterans with SI at baseline, mean BDI-II score decreased from 33.5 to 22.9. For Veterans with no SI at baseline, mean BDI-II score decreased from 26.3 to 15.9. Mixed models with repeated measurement indicated a significant reduction in depression severity from baseline to final assessment (b = -10.52, p < .001). After adjusting for experiential acceptance and mindfulness, patients with SI at baseline demonstrated significantly greater improvement in depression severity during ACT-D treatment, relative to patients with no SI at baseline (b = -2.81, p = .001). Furthermore, increases in experiential acceptance and mindfulness scores across time were associated with a reduction in depression severity across time (b = -0.44, p < .001 and b = -0.09, p < .001, respectfully), and the attenuating effect of mindfulness on depression severity increased across time (b = -0.05, p = .042). Increases in experiential acceptance scores across time were associated with lower odds of SI across time (odds ratio = 0.97, 95% CI [0.95, 0.99], p = .016) and the attenuating effect of experiential acceptance on SI increased across time (odds ratio = 0.96, 95% CI [0.92, 0.99], p = .023). Overall the number of patients with no SI increased from 44.5% at baseline to 65% at follow-up., Conclusions: Veterans receiving ACT-D demonstrated decreased depression severity and decreased odds of SI during treatment. Increases in experiential acceptance and mindfulness scores were associated with reduction in depression severity across time and increases in experiential acceptance scores were associated with reductions in SI across time., (Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

A growing body of research within the acceptance and mindfulness-based therapies suggests that these treatments may function in part by reducing or eliminating (i.e., decoupling) the normative relationships between internal experiences and other internal/overt behavior. Examples of decoupling effects found in this review include reduced relationships between urges to smoke and smoking behavior, between dysphoric mood and depressive cognitions, and between pain intensity and persistence in a painful task. A literature review identified 44 studies on acceptance and mindfulness that demonstrated decoupling effects. Overall, preliminary evidence for decoupling effects were found across a broad range of problem areas, including substance abuse, depression, eating disorders, overeating, chronic pain, anxiety, relationships, anger, avoidance behavior, and self-harm, with the strongest evidence currently available in the area of substance abuse. However, the review also notes a general lack of replication studies on decoupling effects and the need for more well-powered and controlled research testing specific decoupling hypotheses., (© The Author(s) 2015.)

Research has indicated that adults diagnosed with a primary brain tumor (BT) are susceptible to experiencing anxiety and depressive problems post-diagnosis. However, there is a notable paucity of psychological interventions which have been tested with adult BT patients. An acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)-based manualized program was developed for anxious and/or depressed BT patients. The preliminary efficacy of this program was initially tested using a proof-of-concept study design based on a case series of four clinically distressed BT patients. Three of the four participants no longer met criteria for anxiety and/or depressive disorders at post-therapy, and these effects were maintained at 3 months of follow-up. The fourth participant, who had a premorbid psychiatric history, experienced a stabilization of anxiety and depressive symptoms. Given the current dearth of studies which have tested psychological interventions for distressed BT survivors, these preliminary findings have promising clinical utility. However, the efficacy of psychological interventions tailored for clinically distressed BT patients needs to be further tested using larger-scale controlled trial designs.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of a behavioural family intervention, Stepping Stones Triple P (SSTP), combined with an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) workshop in improving parent, family and couple outcomes following paediatric acquired brain injury (ABI)., Participants and Setting: Fifty-nine parents (90% mothers) of children (mean age 7 years; 35 males, 24 females) with ABI., Intervention: Participants were randomly assigned to a treatment (10-week group SSTP and ACT program) or a care-as-usual (CAU) control condition (10 weeks). Those in the CAU condition received the treatment after the waitlist period., Outcomes: Self-report measures of parent psychological distress, parent psychological flexibility, parenting confidence, family functioning, and couple relationship, assessed at: pre-intervention, post-intervention, and 6-months post-intervention., Results: Post-intervention, the treatment group showed significant, small to medium improvements relative to the CAU group (at the p < .05 level) on parent psychological distress, parent psychological flexibility, parent confidence in managing behaviours, family adjustment,and number of disagreements between parents. Most improvements were maintained at 6-months., Conclusions: Parent skills training and ACT may be efficacious in improving parent, family, and couple outcomes in families of children with an ABI., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Functional outcome is an important index of recovery in patients with Schizophrenia (SZ). Several factors impact social functioning, including neurocognition. The Integrated Psychological Therapy (IPT) has been effective in improving social-functioning in SZ patients, but needs to be evaluated for its feasibility and impact in the Indian subcontinent. The study examined the effectiveness of the IPT on neurocognition and social functioning in patients with SZ. An open label design with baseline, post-intervention and 3-month follow-up assessments was adopted. Twenty nine clinically stable out-patients with schizophrenia/schizo-affective disorder (DSM IV-TR) providing written informed consent were recruited, of whom 23 completed the intervention. Patients were assessed on tests of neurocognition, social functioning and symptomatology. Following baseline assessment, patients received 16-20, 1h individual sessions of the IPT over 2.5-3 months. The structure and content of the IPT was modified to make it culturally appropriate for the Indian subcontinent. Therapy comprised of psycho education and the first four modules of the IPT. Repeated measures analysis of variance (RMANOVA) for the completers sample (N=23) indicated significant improvement in social-functioning, symptom severity and certain domains of neurocognition following the intervention. Large effect sizes of 1.21 and 1.01 were obtained for scores on Social and Occupational Functioning Scale (SOFS) and Groningen Social Disabilities Schedule (GSDS) respectively at 3-month follow-up. The IPT was effective in improving social-functioning and neurocognition in Indian patients with SZ. The study demonstrated the durability of these improvements., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: This paper presents the rationale and study protocol for a pragmatic controlled effectiveness trial of Truce, a prevention-based selective intervention targeting the significant mental health needs of young people who have a parent with cancer., Methods/design: Truce is a seven week, facilitated, face-to-face group program. The design is a 2 groups (intervention vs control) x 3 (pre-treatment vs post-treatment vs 2 month follow-up) repeated measures. Allocation to groups will be dependent upon recruitment; when groups have sufficient numbers, they will be assigned to the intervention condition, but participants recruited without a viable group will be assigned to the wait-list control condition. Eligible participants are young people aged 14 to 22 years who have a parent diagnosed with cancer within the last 5 years. Wait-list controls are offered the opportunity to participate in the program once they have completed their follow-up questionnaires. The target sample size is 65 participants in each condition. The primary hypothesis is that participants in the intervention will show significant reductions in distress and increases in psychological well-being relative to participants in the wait-list control group, and these effects will continue through two-month follow-up. Mixed-models analysis of variance will be used to measure differences between the two conditions. Secondary analyses will focus on variables which may relate to the effectiveness of the intervention: ACT-related concepts of experiential avoidance and mindfulness, family functioning, unmet needs and demographic variables. We will also assess program fidelity and satisfaction., Discussion: The development and evaluation of a manualised intervention for young people with a parent with cancer responds to a gap in the provision of empirically-based psychological support for this vulnerable group., Trial Registration: Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12615000761561. Registered 22(nd) July 2015.

Purpose: Psychological distress and psychiatric symptoms are prevalent among people with hearing loss or other audiological conditions, but psychological interventions for these groups are rare. This article describes the study protocol for a randomized controlled trial for evaluating the effect of a psychological treatment delivered over the Internet for individuals with hearing problems and concurrent psychological distress., Method: Participants who are significantly distressed will be randomized to either an 8-week Internet-delivered acceptance-based cognitive behavioral therapy (i.e., acceptance and commitment therapy [ACT]), or wa it-list control. We aim to include measures of distress associated with hearing difficulties, anxiety, and depression. In addition, we aim to measure acceptance associated with hearing difficulties as well as quality of life., Conclusion: The results of the trial may further our understanding of how to best treat people who present problems with both psychological distress and hearing in using the Internet.

Acceptance-based depression and psychosis therapy (ADAPT), a mindfulness/acceptance-based behavioral activation treatment, showed clinically significant effects in the treatment of depression with psychosis in a previous open trial. The goal of the current study was to further test the feasibility of ADAPT to determine the utility of testing it in a future clinical trial, following a stage model of treatment development. Feasibility was determined by randomizing a small number of patients (N=13) with comorbid depression and psychosis to medication treatment as usual plus enhanced assessment and monitoring versus ADAPT for 4 months of outpatient treatment. Both conditions were deemed acceptable by patients. Differences in between-subjects effect sizes favored ADAPT posttreatment and were in the medium to large range for depression, psychosocial functioning, and experiential avoidance (ie, the target mechanism). Thus ADAPT shows promise for improving outcomes compared with medications alone and requires testing in a fully powered randomized trial.

Objectives: People with bipolar disorder are two to three times more likely to smoke and 50% less likely to quit than the general population. New treatments are needed to improve smoking cessation outcomes in this group. The study aim was to develop and pilot test a novel cessation intervention for smokers with bipolar disorder using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) combined with nicotine patches., Methods: The ten-session ACT intervention was initially evaluated as in-person, individual counseling (n = 10), then as telephone-delivered counseling (n = 6). Participants were adult smokers with no more than mild current symptoms of bipolar disorder., Results: For the in-person protocol, end-of-treatment outcomes were: 80% retention, 40% of participants with carbon monoxide (CO)-verified seven-day point prevalence abstinence (PPA), 90% satisfied with treatment, 8.3 of ten sessions attended, and 54% increase in acceptance of cravings to smoke (i.e., ACT's theory-based change process) from baseline. The seven-day PPA at one-month follow-up was 30%. For the telephone protocol, end-of-treatment outcomes were: 67% retention, 33% reporting seven-day PPA, 100% satisfied with treatment, 6.7 of ten treatment calls completed, and 55% increase in acceptance from baseline. At one-month follow-up, seven-day PPA was 17%. The proportion of treatment completers who used at least 80% of the nicotine patches was 62.5% for the in-person protocol and 0% for the telephone protocol., Conclusions: Both in-person and telephone-delivered ACT were feasible. Despite low adherence to nicotine patches, the intervention showed preliminary evidence of facilitating quitting and impacting ACT's change mechanism. A randomized, controlled trial of this targeted ACT intervention is now needed., (© 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Depressed mood often co-exists with frequent drug and alcohol use. This trial examined the feasibility of screening, recruitment, randomization and engagement of drug and alcohol users in psychological interventions for depression symptoms. A total of 50 patients involved in community drugs and alcohol treatment (CDAT) were randomly allocated to behavioral activation delivered by psychological therapists (n = 23) or to cognitive behavioral therapy based self-help introduced by CDAT workers (n = 27). We examined recruitment and engagement rates, as well as changes in depression (PHQ-9) symptoms and changes in percent days abstinent (PDA within last month) at 24 weeks follow-up. The ratio of screened to recruited participants was 4 to 1, and the randomization schedule successfully generated 2 groups with comparable characteristics. Follow-up was possible with 78% of participants post-treatment. Overall engagement in psychological interventions was low; only 42% of randomized participants attended at least 1 therapy session. Patients offered therapy appointments co-located in CDAT clinics were more likely to engage with treatment (odds ratio = 7.14, p = .04) compared to those offered appointments in community psychological care clinics. Intention-to-treat analyses indicated no significant between-group differences at follow-up in mean PHQ-9 change scores (p = .59) or in PDA (p = .08). Overall, it was feasible to conduct a pragmatic trial within busy CDAT services, maximizing external validity of study results. Moderate and comparable improvements in depression symptoms over time were observed for participants in both treatment groups., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a psychological intervention that has wide clinical applications with emerging empirical support. It is based on Functional Contextualism and is derived as a clinical application of the Relational Frame Theory, a behavioral account of the development of human thought and cognition. The six core ACT therapeutic processes include: Acceptance, Defusion, Present Moment, Self-as-Context, Values, and Committed Action. In addition to its explicit use of the concept of mindfulness, the therapeutic techniques of ACT implicitly incorporate other aspects of Buddhism. This article describes the basic principles and processes of ACT, explores the similarities and differences between ACT processes and some of the common tenets in Buddhism such as the Four Noble Truths and No-Self, and reports on the experience of running a pilot intervention ACT group for the Cambodian community in Toronto in partnership with the community's Buddhist Holy Monk. Based on this preliminary exploration in theory and the reflections of the group experience, ACT appears to be consistent with some of the core tenets of Buddhism in the approach towards alleviating suffering, with notable differences in scope reflecting their different aims and objectives. Further development of integrative therapies that can incorporate psychological and spiritual as well as diverse cultural perspectives may help the continued advancement and evolution of more effective psychotherapies that can benefit diverse populations., (© The Author(s) 2014.)