The efficacy of Focused Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in VA primary care.

Abstract

Focused Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (FACT) is a brief intervention based on traditional Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Although there is a growing body of research on the efficacy of ACT for a variety of populations and disorders, there is little research to date on the use of FACT in group settings. This project is 1 of the first of its kind, as it examines data on psychological flexibility, health and mental health status, and symptom reduction from a 4-week FACT group. Participants in this study were 51 patients who attended this group as part of routine clinical care in a VA integrated primary care and mental health setting. They completed pre- and posttreatment measures of well-being, depression, anxiety, stress, psychological flexibility, and perceptions of physical and mental health functioning. Pre- to posttreatment analyses of variance demonstrated large effects for quality of life, F(1, 51) = 21.29, p < .001, η2 = 0.30, moderate effects for depressive symptoms, F(1, 51) = 11.47, p < .001, η2 = 0.08, and perceptions of mental health functioning (MCS scale), F(1, 51) = 9.67, p = .003, η2 = 0.11, and small effects for perceptions of perceived stress, F(1, 51) = 4.08, p = .04, η2 = 0.03, and physical health functioning (PCS scale), F(1, 51) = 6.60, p = .01, η2 = 0.08. There was a statistical trend for reductions in anxiety, F(1, 51) = 3.29, p = .07, η2 = 0.01, and a nonsignificant effect for psychological flexibility, F(1, 51) = 2.05, p = .16, η2 = 0.04. These data provide initial support for the implementation of a group-based FACT protocol within a VA primary care setting and help to lay a foundation for further, more controlled studies on Group FACT in future research. (PsycINFO Database Record

What happens after five years?: The long-term effects of a four-session Acceptance and Commitment Therapy delivered by student therapists for depressive symptoms

“…However, the samples used in the clinical significance analyses were small. The percentages nevertheless resemble those reported by other studies on ACT interventions (Arch et al, 2012a;Glover et al, 2016;, although they are somewhat smaller than those found for longer interventions Forman et al, 2012;.…”

Application of FACT in the academic context to improve the health in high school students

“…Consequently, it will be possible to train other professionals to apply these therapies in the academic context by offering a proposal rooted in behavioral psychology while also presented in a way that is attractive to students. Furthermore, the findings are consistent with other interventions based on third-generation therapies in academic contexts (Grégoire et al, 2018;Halliburton & Cooper, 2018;Keogh et al, 2006;Swain et al, 2015) and with brief interventions aimed at improving health in other contexts based on the same philosophy (Glover et al, 2016;Strosahl et al, 2012).…”

“…N= Interventions were delivered using an adaptation of the "2 + 1" format (Barkham & Shapiro, 1990), which has proven useful over time under different conditions. The essence of the intervention was inspired by the previous works of Strosahl, Robinson, and Gustavsson (2012), and Glover et al (2016); interactions and rules of FAP (Tsai et al, 2009); and ACT strategies adapted to the work context (Flaxman, Bond, & Livheim, 2013) as well as the methodology included in Macías and Valero (2021a). Some procedures such as "mindfulness" were included from an analytical-functional perspective, along with extinction/differential reinforcement, contact with the present, and dismantling of the aversive functions of language, all adapted to the students' verbal context.…”

Addressing Diversity in Mindfulness Research on Health: A Narrative Review using the ADDRESSING Framework

“…47 Furthermore, utilization of MBIs varies nationally. For example, in the treatment of depression, the United Kingdom typically recommends MBCT as a freestanding intervention, while other countries, like Sweden 48 and the United States 49 , integrate elements of mindfulness in primary care for depression. In summary, some but not all mindfulness effects and properties are generalizable across certain nationalities.…”