Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for Combating the Effects of Race-Related Stress Among Black Adolescents

The Healing Power of Acceptance: Evaluating the Efficacy of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in Combating the Effects of Race-Related Stress Among Black Adolescents

The current study seeks to build on previous research that demonstrates the efficacy of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in combating stigma by investigating the feasibility and acceptability of a protocol to support Black adolescents and young adults in coping with race related stress. The study will consist of a small, purposeful, non-randomized sample (N = 30) of clients enrolled into a 10-session Acceptance and Commitment Therapy group. The group will be offered as part of regular clinical care at the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine. Three consecutive groups will be run with approximately 8-10 participants in each group over the next year.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Quality of Life; Depression, Anxiety; Stress Reaction; Race-related Stress
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: ACT for Race Related Stress

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 30
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Xzania Lee, PhD; Phone Number: 323.361.4768; Email: xlee@chla.usc.edu

Study Locations

• United States
  • California
    • Los Angeles, California, United States, 90027
      • Recruiting
      • Children's Hospital Los Angeles
      • Contact: Xzania W Lee, Ph.D.; Phone Number: 323-361-4768; Email: xlee@chla.usc.edu

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 13 years to 21 years (Child, Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Identify as Black/African American
• English-speaking

Exclusion Criteria:

• Prisoners or youth in detention centers will be excluded.
• Not capable of participating meaningfully in the assent/consent process.
• Being at significant risk for suicide and self-injury
• Currently experiencing psychosis
• Having severe health concerns that will impact study participation or attendance

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Acceptance Commitment Therapy; This study will use a 10-session ACT protocol to support Black adolescents and young adults in coping with race related stress.	Behavioral: ACT for Race Related Stress; This intervention will be guided by: Payne, J. S. (2022). Out of the Fire: Healing Black Trauma Caused by Systemic Racism Using Acceptance and commitment Therapy New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Total Score on Index of Race-Related Stress (IRRS)-Brief Version	Higher scores on this measure indicate greater race-related stress. The minimum score on this measure is 0 and the maximum is 88.	12 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Total Scores on Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-2	Higher scores on this measure indicate greater psychological flexibility. The minimum score on this measure is 7 and the maximum is 49.	12 weeks
Total Scores on Multidimensional Inventory of Black Identity-Teen (MIBI-t)	Higher scores on this measure indicate stronger racial identity. The minimum score on this measure is 21 and the maximum is 105.	12 weeks
Total Score on Patient Health Questionaire-9	Higher scores indicate greater depression. The minimum score on this measure is 0 and the maximum is 27.	12 weeks
Total Score on General Anxiety Disorder-7	Higher scores indicate greater anxiety. The minimum score on this measure is 0 and the maximum is 21.	12 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Children's Hospital Los Angeles
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Xzania Lee, PhD, Children's Hospital Los Angeles

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): August 28, 2023
• Primary Completion (Estimated): July 31, 2024
• Study Completion (Estimated): July 31, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 5, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 5, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): January 17, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): November 7, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 3, 2023
• Last Verified: November 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Adolescents; Acceptance and Commitment Therapy; coping; African American; Black; race-related stress; racial trauma
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Fractures, Bone; Wounds and Injuries; Fractures, Stress
• Other Study ID Numbers: CHLA-23-00089

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