Acceptance and commitment group therapy (ACT-G) for health anxiety: a randomized controlled trial

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology
• Behavioral Therapy

Background:

• Severe health anxiety is prevalent and costly, yet often undiagnosed and untreated.
• Previous treatment studies faced challenges in patient recruitment, dropout rates, and recovery.
• This study investigated a novel group therapy approach for severe health anxiety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of Acceptance and Commitment Group Therapy (ACT-G) for severe health anxiety.
• To compare ACT-G outcomes against a waitlist control group.
• To assess treatment feasibility, acceptability, and impact on distress and quality of life.

Main Methods:

• 126 patients with severe health anxiety were randomized to ACT-G or a 10-month waitlist.
• ACT-G involved nine weekly 3-hour sessions plus a booster session.
• Primary outcome: change in self-reported illness worry (Whiteley-7 Index) at 10-month follow-up.

Main Results:

• ACT-G showed a statistically significant mean difference of 20.5 points on the Whiteley-7 Index compared to the waitlist.
• Large effect sizes (Cohen's d = 0.89) and a low number needed to treat (2.4) indicated significant clinical benefit.
• Patients found the diagnosis and treatment process acceptable.

Conclusions:

• Acceptance and Commitment Group Therapy (ACT-G) is a feasible and acceptable treatment for severe health anxiety.
• ACT-G demonstrates significant effectiveness in reducing illness worry and improving patient outcomes.
• This group therapy model offers a promising intervention for a challenging clinical population.