A Component Analysis of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

The Impact of Self as Context in the Treatment of Long-term Health Conditions With Acceptance and Commitment Therapy; a Feasibility Pilot Study

The purpose of this study is to determine whether a specific component of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) called 'Self as Context' is an important and necessary part of this therapeutic approach.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Long-term Physical Health Conditions; Mild to Moderate Anxiety and/or Depression
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 17
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United Kingdom
  • South Yorkshire
    • Sheffield, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom, S10 3TH
      • Primary Care Health and Medical Psychology Services

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adults of working age (18-65)
• Patients with a primary positive diagnosis of a long-term health condition (The most common conditions referred to the service are Diabetes, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease [COPD], Rheumatoid Arthritis and Epilepsy) where there is a verifiable medical diagnosis supported by the patients General Practitioner (GP) and/or secondary care physician
• Patients with concurrent mental health difficulties (defined as mild - moderate anxiety and/or depression, see table one).

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients with a primary diagnosis of 'medically unexplained symptoms' (MUS) including somatoform disorders (e.g. pain disorder, conversion disorder, body dysmorphic disorder, hypochondriasis) and functional somatic syndromes (e.g. irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, non-cardiac chest pain, non-epileptic seizures)
• Mental health diagnoses in addition to mild - moderate anxiety / depression (e.g. personality disorder, bipolar disorder, psychosis etc.)
• Patients in receipt of secondary care mental health services
• Patients with severe and enduring mental health difficulties
• Significant risk issues, or current substance misuse
• Previous contact with mental health services (defined as two or more prior episodes of contact without significant change)
• Inpatient admission for mental health difficulties within the last five years
• History of overdoses or other self-injury
• Stated reluctance to engage in psychotherapy

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Other: Full ACT; Acceptance and Commitment Therapy	Behavioral: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy; Half of the participants will receive an eight-session ACT intervention whereby each component of the psychological flexibility model will be covered. Half of the participants will receive an eight-session act intervention whereby each component except self as context will be covered.
Other: Modified ACT; Acceptance and Commitment Therapy	Behavioral: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy; Half of the participants will receive an eight-session ACT intervention whereby each component of the psychological flexibility model will be covered. Half of the participants will receive an eight-session act intervention whereby each component except self as context will be covered.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change from baseline psychological flexibility at end of 8-session psychological intervention (approximately 8 weeks) and at post-therapy eight week follow-up (using the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire II)	The Acceptance and Action Questionnaire II (Bond et al., 2011) is a 10-item self-report questionnaire measuring psychological flexibility on a 7-point likert scale	Measure taken at first therapy appointment (baseline), taken again after 8-session intervention (approximately 8 weeks) and again at eight week post-therapy follow-up
Change from baseline self-report 'quality of life' at end of 8-session psychological intervention (approximately 8 weeks) and at post-therapy eight week follow-up (using the Work and Social Adjustment Scale)	The Work and Social Adjustment Scale (Mundt, Marks, Shear, & Greist, 2002) is a 5-item self-report questionnaire measuring functional impairment and disability attributable to the effects of a health condition using a 9-point likert scale	Measure taken at first therapy appointment (baseline), taken again after 8-session intervention (approximately 8 weeks) and again at eight week post-therapy follow-up

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Sheffield
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Daniel C Stockton, University of Sheffield

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: October 1, 2014
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 1, 2017
• Study Completion (Actual): June 1, 2017

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 6, 2014
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 10, 2014
• First Posted (Estimate): June 12, 2014

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 9, 2018
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 8, 2018
• Last Verified: February 1, 2018

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathologic Processes; Disease
• Other Study ID Numbers: 139593