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Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) gained support for treating transdiagnostic features of major depressive (MDD) and generalized anxiety disorders (GAD). However, ACT's intrapersonal emphasis may be insufficient for targeting interpersonal treatment goals. Integrating ACT with functional analytic psychotherapy offers theory-based strategies for responding to ACT-specific processes through the contingent interpersonal relationship thereby targeting both intra- and interpersonal treatment goals. Yet, no research examined the efficacy of this integrative approach (i.e., functional-analytic acceptance and commitment therapy [FACT]) in treating comorbid MDD and GAD. In this case study, we conceptualized a man with comorbid MDD and GAD from a FACT perspective, described FACT treatment across 28 sessions, and presented pretreatment, termination, and 6-month posttreatment data on FACT-specific treatment targets. Depression symptoms, self-compassion, mindfulness, and interpersonal relationships improved despite unchanged physiological anxiety symptoms throughout treatment. These preliminary data provide clinicians with a conceptual framework for treating clients using FACT and may guide future research on integrative treatment approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Couples with the greatest need for relationship health maintenance and intervention are often least able to afford and access it; therefore, accessible, affordable, effective, and brief interventions are needed to improve relationship health for those who need it most. Consequently, this paper examined whether a brief relationship intervention could be effectively implemented with a low‐income, underserved population. All enrolled participants (N = 1,312) received the Relationship Checkup, which consists of an assessment and a feedback session delivered in their homes or at a local clinic at their request. Measures assessed relationship satisfaction, communication, psychological and physical aggression, and intimacy at baseline and 1‐month follow‐up, and program and relationship satisfaction at 6‐month follow‐up. All participants reported significant improvements on all outcomes with small effect sizes. However, moderation analyses suggested that distressed couples reported significantly larger effects across the board. Overall, participants reported that they were highly satisfied with the intervention both immediately after its delivery and 6 months later. Findings provide preliminary support for the effectiveness of this brief checkup and point to the utility of offering these kinds of low‐cost brief interventions in flexible formats for those who might have the most difficulty accessing them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Very little is currently known about how increases in dispositional mindfulness through mindfulness training affect the quality of participants' romantic relationships, and no previous studies have examined how increases in specific facets of mindfulness differentially contribute to relationship health. Additionally, even less is known about how an individual's development of mindfulness skills affects the relationship satisfaction of his or her romantic partner. Thus, the purpose of this pilot study was to examine associations between changes in facets of mindfulness and relationship satisfaction among participants enrolled in a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction ( MBSR) course and their nonenrolled romantic partners. Twenty MBSR participants and their nonenrolled partners ( n = 40) completed measures of mindfulness and relationship satisfaction pre- and post-enrolled partners' completion of an MBSR course. Results indicated that enrolled participants significantly improved on all facets of mindfulness and relationship satisfaction, while nonenrolled partners did not significantly increase on any facet of mindfulness or relationship satisfaction. Moreover, enrolled participants' increases in Acting with Awareness were positively associated with increases in their own and their nonenrolled partners' relationship satisfaction, whereas increases in enrolled participants' Nonreactivity were positively associated with increases in their nonenrolled partners' (but not their own) relationship satisfaction. These results suggest that increasing levels of mindfulness (particularly specific aspects of mindfulness) may have positive effects on couples' relationship satisfaction and highlight mindfulness training as a promising tool for education and intervention efforts aimed at promoting relational health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is a single-case study of a middle-aged man presenting with relationship distress and simultaneous major depressive disorder with chronic back pain and a physical tic. Treatment was informed by cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT), and psychodynamic principles. Over the course of treatment, a variety of techniques were utilized, including progressive muscle relaxation training, behavioral monitoring, cognitive restructuring, and interpersonal principles to address somatic complaints and underlying feelings of helplessness and inadequacy. Symptoms including general distress, frustration, back pain, worry about his wife’s mental illness, and amount of negative thinking were tracked on a daily basis over three assessment periods. In addition, clinically significant change was assessed using a comparison of baseline and follow-up results from the patient’s Outcome Questionnaire–45 (OQ-45.2). Evidence for symptomatic and characterological change is outlined, and treatment implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]