Acceptance and Commitment Therapy e Terapia Cognitivo- Comportamentale a confronto: una revisione della letteratura.

During the last decade a considerable number of studies have been conducted showing that Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is an effective treatment for a wide range of psychological disorders. However, the debate about the empirical status of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and its different characteristics compared to Cognitive Behavioural Therapy remains controversial and open. This study aims to shed some light on the issue by conducting a systematic review of the studies that have compared Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Fifteen studies were identified using the databases PubMed and Scopus in November 2014. Studies were included in the review if they compared individual treatments focused on mood and anxiety disorders. The two treatments were equivalently effective at post-treatment according to measures of symptoms and global functioning. Some differences emerged in long-term outcomes. Studies that have investigated mediating mechanisms have produced mixed results. Whereas some studies have found evidence that Acceptance and Commitment Therapy works using different processes from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, other studies have showed that the two treatments shared similar mechanisms of action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]