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Neuro-Typical Children Outcomes from an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Summer Camp
Mary Rachel Enoch1, Mark R Dixon2
11Applied Psychology Department, Antioch University New England, 40 Avon Street, Keene, NH 03431 USA.
Behavior Analysis in Practice
|January 25, 2020
Summary
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) effectively increased psychological flexibility and mindful awareness in children at a community camp. This mindfulness intervention shows promise for youth mental health and well-being.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Child Psychiatry
- Mindfulness-Based Interventions
Background:
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a promising intervention for children.
- ACT is approachable, acceptable, and easily implemented in various settings.
- Previous research supports ACT curricula paired with mindfulness and acceptance activities for youth.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the practical implications of using ACT in a community camp setting with children.
- To assess ACT's effectiveness in increasing psychological flexibility and mindful awareness in a neurotypical sample.
- To compare outcomes between an experimental group and a control group.
Main Methods:
- A neurotypical sample of children participated in a community camp setting.
- Participants were assigned to either an experimental group or a control group.
- Self-report questionnaires, including the Avoidance and Fusion Questionnaire for Youth (AFQ-Y) and the Child Acceptance and Mindfulness Measure (CAMM), were administered pre- and postintervention.
Main Results:
- The experimental group showed a significant decrease in avoidance and fusion compared to the control group (AFQ-Y, p = .01).
- The experimental group demonstrated a significant increase in mindful awareness and psychological flexibility compared to the control group (CAMM, p = .006).
- Results support ACT's potential to enhance psychological flexibility and mindful awareness in children.
Conclusions:
- ACT is a viable and effective intervention for increasing psychological flexibility and mindful awareness in children within a community camp setting.
- The findings suggest that ACT-based mindfulness programs can positively impact youth mental health.
- Further research is warranted to explore the long-term effects and broader applications of ACT for children.
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