Volume 12, April 2019, Pages 154-159 (Special Issue on ACT for Autism and Related Disorders)
Authors:
Adam D. Hahs, Mark R. Dixon, Dana Paliliunas
Abstract:
We examined the effect of a brief Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) based intervention for eighteen parents of children with autism compared to a matched randomized control group. The treatment group demonstrated statistically significant improvements (p < 0.05) and large effect sizes on six of eight self-report measures following treatment, including the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (p = 0.0318, d= 0.94), Beck Depression Inventory-II (p = 0.0239, d= −1.01), Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire-13 (p = 0.0485, d= 0.83), Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (p = 0.007, d= 1.29), Internalized Shame Scale (p = 0.0052, d= −1.37), Personal Values Questionnaire-II (p = 0.0159, d= 1.11), White Bear Suppression Inventory (p = 0.1732, d= 0.46), and Frieburg Mindfulness Inventory (p = 0.2506, d= 0.32). These results suggest that a brief ACT-based intervention may be efficacious in treating the psychological challenges of parents of children with autism.