Processes of change in psychological flexibility in an interdisciplinary group-based treatment for anxiety based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Processes of change in psychological flexibility in an interdisciplinary group-based treatment for anxiety based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

There is a growing body of literature to support Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) (Hayes, Strosahl, & Wilson, 1999) in the treatment of anxiety, including treatment outcome studies in both adult (McCracken, Vowles, & Eccleston, 2005; Vowles & McCracken, 2008; Wicksell, Ahlqvist, Bring, Melin, & Olsson,2008) and pediatric samples (Wicksell, Melin, Lekander, & Olsson,2009). Treatment outcome studies conducted so far suggest that relatively brief ACT interventions of between three to eight weeks can produce significant benefits in the emotional, physical, and social functioning of people with anxiety. As further support for applications of ACT to anxiety, secondary analyses within these studies show that the processes of psychological flexibility targeted in ACT appear to account for an appreciable proportion of the benefits observed. However, a broader focus on processes of change is important to continue to clarify the roles of the separate processes defined within this treatment approach.