Group Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) With Healthy Older Adults

Well-being in ACTion: Examining the Impact of Acceptance and Commitment Training in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

The current study aims to explore the impact of a two-session group Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) intervention compared to an assessment-only control on psychological outcomes in healthy older adults. The proposed study has two main objectives.

1. Examine the impact the intervention on targeted ACT processes over time
2. Examine the impact of the intervention on aspects of eudaimonic well-being over time

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Quality of Life; Aging
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Acceptance and Commitment Training

Detailed Description

Older adults are a growing segment of our population, and this period of life presents a variety of physical, emotional, environmental, and cognitive changes, even for healthy individuals. The current study aims to explore the impact of a two-session group Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) intervention compared to an assessment-only control on psychological outcomes in healthy, community-dwelling older adults.

Participants will be randomly assigned (stratified by sex) to the ACT group condition or to an assessment-only control group. After randomization, those in the assessment-only control group will be asked to complete four assessments via mail (baseline, one-month, three-month, and six-month). The intervention group will participate in a brief group ACT intervention occurring over two sessions (90 minutes each, approximately one week apart). Intervention participants will also complete assessments at baseline and at one-month, three-months, and six-months post-intervention.

The specific aims and hypotheses of the current study are:

Specific Aim #1: To examine longitudinal between-group differences in targeted ACT processes including psychological flexibility (openness to experience, behavioral awareness, and valued action) and satisfaction with social roles and activities from baseline to follow-up. We hypothesize that there will be significant time by group interaction, such that psychological flexibility and satisfaction with social roles and activities will increase significantly more in the intervention group relative to the assessment-only control group.

Specific Aim #2: To examine longitudinal between-group differences in eudaimonic well-being (purpose in life and personal growth) from baseline to follow-up. We hypothesize that there will be significant time by group interactions, such that purpose in life and personal growth will increase significantly more in the intervention group relative to the assessment-only control group.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 81
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Iowa
    • Iowa City, Iowa, United States, 52242
      • University of Iowa

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 65 years to 99 years (Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• healthy, community-dwelling older adult (age 65-99)

Exclusion Criteria:

• significant primary psychiatric disease
• medications that have the potential to affect cognitive functioning
• neurological events

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: ACT Group Condition; The ACT group condition will receive two 90-minute group Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) workshops (scheduled approximately one week apart) and will complete assessments.	Behavioral: Acceptance and Commitment Training; Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is an acceptance- and mindfulness-based psychotherapy that aims to foster psychological flexibility.; Other Names: ACT; Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
No Intervention: Assessment-Only Condition; The Assessment-only condition will not receive any intervention and will only complete assessments.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Differences in change over time between conditions on The Comprehensive Assessment of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy processes (CompACT)	The CompACT is a self-report measure of psychological flexibility. Total scores on the measure range from 0-138 with higher scores indicative of greater psychological flexibility.	baseline, 1-month, 3-month, and 6-month post-intervention follow-up

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Differences in change over time between conditions on the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System's (PROMIS) 8-item Satisfaction with Social Roles and Activities scale	The PROMIS 8-item Satisfaction with Social Roles and Activities scale is a self-report measure. Total scores on the measure are converted to T scores.	baseline, 1-month, 3-month, and 6-month post-intervention follow-up
Differences in change over time between conditions on the Ryff's Scales of Psychological Well-Being 14-item Purpose in Life Scale	Ryff's Scales of Psychological Well-Being 14-item Purpose in Life Scale is a self-report measure. Total scores range from 14-84, with higher scores indicative of greater purpose in life.	baseline, 1-month, 3-month, and 6-month post-intervention follow-up
Differences in change over time between conditions on the Ryff's Scales of Psychological Well-Being 14-item Personal Growth Scale	Ryff's Scales of Psychological Well-Being 14-item Personal Growth Scale is a self-report measure. Total scores range from 14-84, with higher scores indicative of greater personal growth.	baseline, 1-month, 3-month, and 6-month post-intervention follow-up

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Anne Roche, MA
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Anne I Roche, MA, University of Iowa

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): April 17, 2019
• Primary Completion (Actual): September 1, 2020
• Study Completion (Actual): September 1, 2020

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 8, 2019
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 11, 2019
• First Posted (Actual): February 15, 2019

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): November 13, 2020
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 11, 2020
• Last Verified: November 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy; Psychological Well-being; Psychological flexibility; Older Adult; Brief interventions
• Other Study ID Numbers: 201902715

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No