Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for the Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Among Adolescents

Abstract

Trauma exposure among youth in the United States is a common event. Although the number of individuals who meet criteria for a diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is only a small percentage of those exposed to trauma, many individuals who do not meet full criteria for PTSD continue to experience problematic posttraumatic stress symptomology. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is an empiricallybased psychological intervention that has shown effectiveness in the treatment of a number of concerns among both adults and adolescents. ACT has shown preliminary effectiveness in the treatment of adult PTSD, but its effectiveness in treating adolescent posttraumatic stress is currently unknown. Using a multiple-baseline design, the present study investigated the effectiveness of a 10-week ACT protocol to treat adolescents experiencing posttraumatic stress. Seven individuals between the ages of 12 and 17 participated in the treatment, four of who were from a community sample and three who iv were in residential care to treat comorbid eating disorders. Structured interviews were completed at pretreatment and individuals reported baseline data for anywhere from 7 to 66 days before engaging in treatment. Symptom and process measures were completed at each session. Postassessment was completed one week following the final session.Results revealed a decrease in posttraumatic stress symptomology across both samples, In collaboration with Utah State University (USU), a psychology professor, Dr.Michael Twohig, and a USU doctoral student, Michelle Woidneck, conducted a study examining the utility of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) as a treatment for adolescents with posttraumatic stress. The project's main purpose was to explore the effectiveness of a 10-week ACT protocol to treat posttraumatic stress among adolescents vi from two samples. Another important aim was to evaluate the treatment acceptability of the selected intervention.Findings from the project showed a decrease in posttraumatic stress symptomology on multiple measures. Positive changes on measures of depression, general distress, and quality of life were also observed. The overall treatment acceptability among participants was high. Taken together, these results provide preliminary support for ACT as an effective treatment for adolescent posttraumatic stress.

Inflexible Youngsters: Psychological and Psychopathological Correlates of the Avoidance and Fusion Questionnaire for Youths in Nonclinical Dutch Adolescents

“…The second line of investigation pertains to the development and evaluation of treatment programs for children and adolescents with evident mental health problems. Specific interventions that target youths’ inflexibility by promoting (aspects of) psychological flexibility, such as acceptance and commitment therapy and mindfulness training, are increasingly evaluated (e.g., Livheim et al 2015 ; Singh et al 2007 ; Woidneck et al 2014 ), and more of such studies are needed to further establish the empirical status of this new generation of behavioral therapies in youths. The AFQ-Y is recommended as an important measure that can be used in both lines of research: the present study further underlines that this scale provides a reliable and valid index of psychological inflexibility in young people.…”

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) as a Standalone Intervention for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder after Mixed Traumatic Events: A Mixed-Methods Feasibility Study

“…The idea that mindfulness-based interventions are helpful to reduce PTSD symptoms is supported by promising experiences with approaches that include mindfulness and acceptance exercises in PTSD treatment, such as dialectical behavior therapy for PTSD (Steil et al, 2011 ; Bohus et al, 2013 ) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT; Twohig, 2009 ; Woidneck et al, 2014 ).…”

Investigating the effectiveness of an online acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) intervention versus a waiting list control condition on pain interference and quality of life in adults with chronic pain and multimorbidity: protocol for a randomised controlled trial

“…From the perspective of ACT, increasing psychological flexibility for a person with a chronic condition is a multistep process established by six core principles: acceptance of all experiences, both positive and negative; recognition of core personal values; committed action towards those values; psychological defusion; emphasis on the present moment; and sense of self as a context 25. ACT has been used as a psychological intervention to improve functioning and quality of life for people living with numerous chronic conditions, including depression,26 tinnitus,27 diabetes,28 cancer,29 post-traumatic stress30 and chronic pain 31…”