ACT: Anxiety
Author-clinical psychologist Dr. Kelly Wilson descibes how the use the principles of ACT Therapy to address anxiety in an effective way. Also see “Things Might Go Terribly, Horribly Wrong”
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BKgaYQ3PuI
Dispositional coping in individuals with anxiety disorder symptomatology: Avoidance predicts distress
Anxiety disorders entail avoidance of feared situations and anxious experiences, which is believed to maintain anxiety pathology. It remains unclear if predominant coping styles, like avoidance, are similar across anxiety disorders or if each disorder has its own coping profile. This has important implications for conceptualization of maintenance mechanisms and treatment planning for clients presenting with different anxiety problems, since ineffective and inflexible coping may perpetuate distress.
Dispositional coping in individuals with anxiety disorder symptomatology: Avoidance predicts distress
Author(s):
Georgia Panayiotou, Maria Karekla, Ioanna Mete
Relationships between amount of post-intervention mindfulness practice and follow-up outcome variables in an acceptance-based behavior therapy for Generalized Anxiety Disorder: The importance of informal practice
Because most behavioral treatments are time-limited, skills and practices that foster long-term maintenance of gains made during treatment are of critical importance. While some studies have found mindfulness practice to be associated with improvements in outcome variables over the course of treatment (Vettese, Toneatto, Stea, Nguyen, & Wang, 2009), very little is known about the effects of continued mindfulness practice following treatment termination.
A pilot study of processes of change in group-based acceptance and commitment therapy for health anxiety
Background
Health Anxiety of hypochondriasis is a disabling and persistent disorder with a high prevalence in primary care, and insufficient treatment opportunities and knowledge of treatment processes. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a third-wave behavioral therapy, which has shown positive treatment effects in a variety of mental disorders. ACT is proposed to work through the process of 'psychological flexibility,' but no studies have yet examined possible processes of change in an act-based treatment of health anxiety.
Aim
The pilot study investigated whether changes in 'psychological flexibility' and 'mindfulness' mediated treatment outcome in health anxiety symptoms.
Methods
A pilot study of processes of change in group-based acceptance and commitment therapy for health anxiety
Author(s):
Ditte Hoffmann, Lea Halsboe, Trine Eilenberg, Jens S. Jensen, Lisbeth Frostholm
Relationships between amount of post-intervention mindfulness practice and follow-up outcome variables in an acceptance-based behavior therapy for Generalized Anxiety Disorder: The importance of informal practice
Author(s):
Lucas P.K. Morgan, Jessica R. Graham, Sarah A. Hayes-Skelton, Susan M. Orsillo, Lizabeth Roemer
The effect of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on reducing anxiety symptoms and body image dissatisfaction in obese women
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on reducing anxiety symptoms and body image dissatisfaction in obese women. This semi-experimental study has control and experimental groups with pre-test, post-test, and follow-up. The study population included all women who were obese at Isfahan in 2012-2013, based on random sampling of 30 obese women who went to Sepahan health clinic in Isfahan, their score in Fisher's body image test was 46 to 138 and their score in Beck Anxiety Inventory was 17 to 63. They were randomly assigned to two groups of 15.
Cognitive mediators of treatment for social anxiety disorder: Comparing acceptance and commitment therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy
Objective
To assess the relationship between session-by-session mediators and treatment outcomes in traditional cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for social anxiety disorder.
Method
Session-by-session changes in negative cognitions (a theorized mediator of CBT) and experiential avoidance (a theorized mediator of ACT) were assessed in 50 adult outpatients randomized to CBT (n = 25) or ACT (n = 25) for DSM-IV social anxiety disorder.
Results
A randomised controlled trial of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy for generalised anxiety disorder
The study examined the relative efficacy of group acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) compared to group cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT). Fifty-one individuals with GAD were randomly allocated to a 6-week intervention, either ACT or CBT. Participants were assessed at pre-treatment, post-treatment, and 3-month follow-up on symptom measures, quality of life, and process measures. Data from 38 participants (19 in each group) were available at post-assessment, indicating significant improvements on all measures for both treatment conditions. Treatment gains were maintained at follow-up, with significant further improvements in anxiety, depression and stress symptoms for both groups.