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Current empirical status of acceptance and commitment therapy
1Department of Neurosciences, Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. pull.charles@chl.lu
Current Opinion in Psychiatry
|January 6, 2009
Summary
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) shows promise for various conditions like anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. Further research is needed to confirm its effectiveness compared to other treatments.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Behavioral Science
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a 'third wave' cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
- ACT focuses on psychological flexibility.
- It is increasingly recognized as a distinct therapeutic approach.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current status of ACT.
- To examine evidence from previous reviews, meta-analyses, and recent studies (Jan 2006 - Aug 2008).
- To assess ACT's efficacy across various psychological and medical conditions.
Main Methods:
- Editorial review of existing literature.
- Analysis of meta-analyses and new research publications.
- Synthesis of findings on ACT's application and outcomes.
Main Results:
- ACT demonstrates potential effectiveness for anxiety disorders, depression, pain, trichotillomania, psychotic disorders, drug abuse, epilepsy, and diabetes.
- ACT appears to engage different psychological processes than traditional CBT.
Conclusions:
- Current evidence for ACT is promising across a range of conditions.
- More rigorous, controlled studies are required to establish ACT's comparative effectiveness against other active treatments.
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