Psychology Commons^™

Comparative Analysis Of Acceptance And Commitment Therapy’S Effectiveness In An Intensive Outpatient Program Setting, Efrain Frank Ellin Iii

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents a comparative analysis of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and treatment as usual (TAU) within an intensive outpatient program setting, evaluating their effectiveness in enhancing various dimensions of psychological well-being. Guided by two main research questions, the study investigates whether ACT demonstrates greater or equal effectiveness compared to TAU and if it provides more immediate effects on psychological well-being within three weeks. Utilizing a quasi-experimental design, the research incorporates a comprehensive array of measurement tools to assess outcomes related to anxiety, depression, stress, psychological flexibility, cognitive flexibility, emotion regulation, mindfulness self-efficacy, and life satisfaction among participants. The …

A Scoping Review Of Acceptance And Commitment Therapy In Higher Education, Sarah Caimano

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a transdiagnostic intervention that holds promise in improving well-being across various contexts. The current scoping review aims to examine the literature on the use of ACT interventions in higher education to improve aspects of student well-being and academic outcomes. Chapter 2 summarizes the results of the review and includes 34 peer-reviewed empirical research articles that applied ACT interventions with higher education students. Online and in-person interventions were both widely used and found to be effective. Though these outcomes are promising, nearly half of the articles reviewed provided insufficient detail to allow for replication and …

An Exploration Of The Relationship Between Physical Therapists’ Pyschological Characteristics And Feedback Methods, Dustin Cox

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Providing treatment interventions to clients with chronic pain is a complex task for any professional. Research suggests that clients with chronic pain experience declines in physical, emotional, and psychological quality of life. Client’s that have chronic pain have complex effects from dealing with this condition in their lives. Hashmi and colleagues found that clients with chronic pain (i.e., pain lasting > three months) process pain through the emotional and reward circuitry in the brain. The literature base provides evidence that clients with chronic pain who receive psychologically based interventions along with physical rehabilitation have better outcomes than individuals with chronic pain …

Psychological Flexibility, Music Performance Anxiety, And Perceived Performance Quality: A Correlational Study With University Music Students, Tracy Lianne Viator

Masters Theses

Despite the pervasiveness of music performance anxiety (MPA) among musicians, the scientific literature on effective psychological interventions is relatively limited. While some MPA researchers regard cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) as the best suited psychotherapeutic option, others position acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) as both a promising treatment for MPA and means of performance enhancement. A third-wave behavioral therapy, ACT stands apart from traditional CBT in that the treatment does not attempt to reduce symptoms, but rather aims to increase psychological flexibility: the ability to contact the present moment with full awareness and engage in values-congruent action, even if doing so elicits …

A Personalized Values Intervention To Increase Health Behaviors In College Students, Jessica M Criddle

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

College students in the United States face unique health risks such as problematic alcohol use, poor nutrition, low sleep quality, and low rates of exercise. Research increasingly shows interventions utilizing individualized approaches lead to longer term pro-health behavior change. Values-centered Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a useful framework to for development of personalized, effective interventions. One reason for this may be that impersonalized interventions and researcher-generated target behaviors common in other literatures may not hold the same evocative effect and connection to health behaviors for each or every participant. In ACT, valuing increases the probability of values-consistent behavior, such …

Telehealth Delivery Of Acceptance And Commitment Therapy And Recreational Therapy: Supporting People With Chronic Pain During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Grace L. Roy

Honors Theses and Capstones

Chronic pain is a significant public health problem that requires person-centered and comprehensive care to address the many socioecological factors that contribute to pain. Within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth options for chronic pain management can help more people access the care that they need. The purpose of the current pilot study was to investigate the efficacy and feasibility of delivering a 6-week Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and recreational therapy intervention via telehealth for a group of seven participants with chronic pain. It was found that TeleACT-RT was associated with positive behavioral outcomes including increased psychological flexibility, …

Mindfulness And Pain Regulation: The Role Of Acceptance And Commitment Therapy For Individuals With Chronic Pain, Ariana C. White

Honors Theses and Capstones

Chronic pain is a significant and widely prevalent health condition which requires comprehensive care to address the many facets contributing to symptomatology. In 2016, 20% of American adults (about 50 million) reported experiencing chronic pain, of which 7.4% indicated that chronic pain frequently limited their life and participation in activities within the past 3 months (CDC, 2018). As a result, many individuals with chronic pain turn to opioid-based medication for pain relief, but long-term use of opioids actually increases pain sensation (Tobin, 2019). Moreover, opioid medication is unable to target underlying mental health components which emerge as part of chronic …

Measuring Gender-Related Biases And Exploring Methods To Diminish Bias By Targeting Relations For Defusion, Chynna B. Frizell

MSU Graduate Theses

Biases related to gender are an important area of empirical attention in the United States due to social challenges related to prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination based on gender. The purpose of this study is to evaluate potential bias related to binary and nonbinary gender using a measure of relational responding rooted in Relational Density Theory (RDT) (Belisle & Dixon, 2020). Mass and volume of networks in terms of gendered stereotypical relations are assessed to further examine binary gendered stereotypes and to examine relations regarding nonbinary genders in the context of traditionally masculine and feminine labels. Implicit biases regarding male and …

Mental Health Supportive Services During Covid-19: Proposing An Online, Self-Guided Acceptance And Commitment Therapy Program For Parents In The Disability Community, Ty B. Aller, Elizabeth B. Fauth, Sarah Hodgskiss, Jeff Sheen, Michael E. Levin

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Parents of Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) often experience stress, and the COVID-19 pandemic has likely increased their stress. In the current paper, we describe four things. First, we describe how mental telehealth treatments can effectively decrease parent stress, including programs that target behavior training and those that provide therapy. Teleheath programs are delivered by phone, computer, or fully online. Second, we describe challenges of these programs and explain how online, self-guided programs may help address these challenges. Third, we explain our online, self-guided program based in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). ACT is a specific type of …

A One-Session, Brief Acceptance And Commitment Therapy Workshop For Chronic Pain Patients: A One-Sample Pretest-Posttest Prospective Exploratory Study, Kelly Anne Thomas Ms

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Chronic pain affects one in every four persons (NIH, 2010). For individuals residing in rural communities where chronic pain treatment is often not accessible (Artnak et al., 2011), a one-session brief mental health intervention is a critical healthcare need. More specifically, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for chronic pain is a novel treatment approach in need of more research (Society of Clinical Psychology, 2016). This current study contributes to the gap in the literature by implementing an ACT workshop in a rural healthcare setting for individuals with chronic pain. It was hypothesized that the workshop would increase adaptive coping mechanisms …

Feasibility Of Acceptance-Based Health Coaching Targeting Food Cravings In Pregnancy, Lauren Blau

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Excess gestational weight gain (GWG) is the leading high-risk condition in pregnancy in the United States and associated with a variety of poor delivery and health outcomes for the mother and infant. The majority of interventions addressing diet and physical activity in pregnancy have at best small effects on weight gain and pregnancy health outcomes. Past studies on weight loss in non-pregnant samples have demonstrated the utility of addressing psychological factors to modify eating behaviors. Currently, there is a lack of research to evaluate the efficacy of targeting psychological factors to improve cognitive and affective coping skills when attempting to …

Integrating Storytelling Into The Theory And Practice Of Contextual Behavioral Science, Carter H. Davis, Brandon A. Gaudiano, Louise Mchugh, Michael E. Levin

Psychology Student Research

The practice of generating and interpreting stories can be examined through a behavioral lens and has many potential implications for clinical practice. However, storytelling has for the most part yet to be integrated into the field of contextual behavioral science (CBS). A bedrock of human culture, storytelling has influenced both individual behavior and intergroup cooperation for millennia. Basic principles of relational frame theory, such as those pertaining to coherence, perspective-taking, and the transformation of stimulus function, may help to reveal how stories derive their psychological impact. In turn, understanding storytelling from a CBS perspective can facilitate the broader integration of …

Development And Initial Validation Of A Brief Questionnaire On The Patients’ View Of The In-Session Realization Of The Six Core Components Of Acceptance And Commitment Therapy, Thomas Probst, Andreas Mühlberger, Johannes Kühner, Georg Eifert, Christoph Pieh, Timo Hackbarth, Johannes Mander

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Background: Assessing in-session processes is important in psychotherapy research. The aim of the present study was to create and evaluate a short questionnaire capturing the patients’ view of the in-session realization of the six core components of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).

Method: In two studies, psychotherapy patients receiving ACT (Study 1: n = 87) or Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) (Study 2, Sample 1: n = 115; Sample 2: n = 156) completed the ACT session questionnaire (ACT-SQ). Therapists were n = 9 ACT therapists (Study 1) and n = 77 CBT trainee therapists (Study 2).

Results: Factor structure: Exploratory factor …

An Evaluation Of A Brief Mindfulness And Values Training On Cyber Bullying Behavior In College Students, Emily M. Boduch

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Cyber bullying is associated with many negative outcomes for both the bully and the victim (Fahy et al., 2016; Kowalski et al., 2014; Merrell et al., 2008; Quintana-Orts & Rey, 2018). There has been a large research focus on the causes (Barlett & Gentile, 2012; Mehari & Farrell, 2018) and consequences (Fahy et al., 2016) of cyber aggression, but there has not been as much focus on the evaluation of prevention and intervention strategies (Gaffney et al., 2018). While cyber bullying is primarily targeted in adolescence, Tynes, Rose, and Markoe (2013) showed that online aggression occurs amongst university students as …

A Single Session Of Acceptance And Commitment Therapy To Promote Health-Related Behavior Change: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Monica Barreto

Dissertations

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have identified physical activity, nutrition, and sleep as three key health-related behaviors that can help the prevention of chronic disease. Only a fraction of the population met the recommended guidelines across these domains. It is important to develop interventions that can be simultaneously focused, flexible, efficient, and efficacious as a means of impacting population health. This study examined the efficacy of a single 60-minute Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) session targeting health-related behavior change and compared it to an information-only wait-list (WL) control condition. Forty-five collegians (Mage = 22.35 [6.91], 78% female, 56% …

Considering Art Therapy For Adults With Fear Of Cancer Recurrence (Fcr): A Literature Review, Max Roberts

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is a major problem for many cancer survivors. As cancer treatments improve and more people are surviving cancer, FCR will likely become a larger problem in general for the healthcare system. Art therapists working with cancer survivors need to be prepared for addressing FCR as they are likely to encounter this clinical issue. A literature search was conducted and no research investigating art therapy specifically for FCR was found, indicating there is currently no empirically supported approach to art therapy for FCR. Mindfulness and acceptance-based therapies appear to be efficacious for reducing effects of FCR. …

Preliminary Validation And Reliability Assessment Of A 10-Item Tacting Of Function Scale, Benjamin G. Pierce, Michael E. Levin

Psychology Faculty Publications

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) takes a functional perspective on behavior and supports clients in responding in values consistent ways to their internal experiences. The capacity to notice and label the functions of one's ongoing behavior may be an important skill in functional interventions such as ACT, which may facilitate other facets of these interventions. However, this skill has never been assessed as a potentially relevant behavioral process. The ability to notice and label the functions of one's behavior may be defined as tacting of the function of behavior, because it involves providing a verbal response (a label) to a …

Impact Of Cognitive Distortions And Perceived Stigmatization On Acceptance Among Adults With Neurofibromatosis Type 1, Shanna C. Drinkwine

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a genetic condition that is characterized by many physical and cognitive signs and symptoms. Many of the physical manifestations are widespread and visible, which may cause an individual to be a target of stigmatization. An individual’s perception of this stigmatization could lead to emotional distress and a decreased quality of life. To date, there is no research investigating the underlying cognitive factors that drive emotional responses to these negative events in individuals with NF1. More specifically, a literature review reveals no research indicating that cognitive distortions or acceptance have ever been studied in this population. …

Assessing Psychological Inflexibility In University Students: Development And Validation Of The Acceptance And Action Questionnaire For University Students (Aaq-Us), Michael E. Levin, Jennifer Krafft, Jacqueline Pistorello, John R. Seeley

Psychology Faculty Publications

This study sought to develop and validate a domain-specific measure of psychological inflexibility for university students, the acceptance and action questionnaire for university students (AAQ-US). Generic versions of the AAQ tend to not be as sensitive to changes in campus-specific functioning —a key outcome of interest in this population. An online survey was conducted with 425 undergraduate students. Psychometric analyses led to the refinement of a 12-item, single factor scale with strong internal consistency. Evidence for convergent validity was found with moderate to large correlations between the AAQ-US and measures of academic outcomes, mental health, and psychological inflexibility. The AAQ-US …

Delivering Acceptance And Commitment Therapy For Weight Self-Stigma Through Guided Self-Help: Results From An Open Pilot Trial, Michael E. Levin, Sarah Potts, Jack Haegar, Jason Lillis

Psychology Faculty Publications

Weight self-stigma is a promising target for innovative interventions seeking to improve outcomes among overweight/obese individuals. Preliminary research suggests acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) may be an effective approach for reducing weight self-stigma, but a guided self-help version of this intervention may improve broad dissemination. This pilot open trial sought to evaluate the potential acceptability and efficacy of a guided self-help ACT intervention, included coaching and a self-help book, with a sample of 13 overweight/obese individuals high in weight self-stigma. Results indicated a high degree of program engagement (77% completed the intervention) and satisfaction. Participants improved on outcomes over time …

Transforming Fear : The Impact Of Brief Values-Based Interventions On Avoidance Behavior In An Exposure Context, Timothy Ritzert

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Exposure therapy is the gold standard treatment for anxiety disorders, yet there remains room for improvement. To date, most exposure-based interventions focus on approaching fear-inducing events. Yet, in natural contexts, fear-based avoidance tends to occur in contexts that demand approaching potentially meaningful and reinforcing consequences (e.g., work, intimacy, friendships, helping others). Thus, to maximize exposure, it may be useful to arrange exposures to include contacting fear while simultaneously approaching rewarding consequences, or what many refer to as values. Values strategies, part of acceptance and commitment therapy, might be one way to optimize exposure therapy by increasing approach toward fear-provoking situations …

Mindset Matters: Measuring Anxiety Mindsets, Jillian S. Merrick

Psychology Honors Projects

Considerable research supports Dweck’s (2006) theory of mindsets, yet few researchers have studied mental health mindset. The current study explores this link through developing a measure that applies Dweck’s dimensions of fixed vs. growth mindset to appraisals of anxiety while also assessing beliefs about strategies for managing anxiety. In Studies 1-4, we develop this measure and report the correlations among the four scales - Fixed, Growth, Acceptance, and Change - as well as the correlations between these scales and various measures of wellbeing in both undergraduate and high school samples. Study 5 builds on and extends this research by using …

Perspectives On The Use Of Acceptance And Commitment Therapy Related Mobile Apps: Results From A Survey Of Students And Professionals, Benjamin G. Pierce, Michael P. Twohig, Michael E. Levin

Psychology Faculty Publications

Although mobile apps have proliferated as self-help or adjunctive therapy supports, scant research has explored their implementation among mental health practitioners. Little is known about uses and perceptions of mental health apps among applied practitioners, nor are agreed-upon criteria for evaluating and choosing apps available. The present survey study examined the uses and perceptions of mental health apps among 356 professionals and students familiar with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), as indicated by being a member of the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science. The survey found that practitioners are interested in using ACT-related apps, but that use of and familiarity …

The Contribution Of Mindfulness Meditation And Values Clarification To The Treatment Of Anxiety : An Experience Sampling Study, Christopher Robert Berghoff

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent mental health concern in the United States. Yet, many who suffer from anxiety do not receive treatment or fail to respond to well-established cognitive and behavioral interventions. Mindfulness- and values-based strategies are possible alternatives for these individuals. However, values-based approaches have not been adequately studied in anxious populations and it is unclear how they may interact with mindfulness-based approaches. Moreover, little is understood about the mechanisms of action underlying behavioral changes resulting from mindfulness meditation (MM) practices. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is one approach that employs values clarification (VC) and mindfulness to bring …

Burnout, Work Engagement, And Well-Being In The Healthcare Professions: A Proposal For A Digital Intervention, Eric T. Reinhart

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Burnout is a chronic problem for individuals in the helping professions and is particularly pronounced in healthcare settings. Burnout is an extreme stress response characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization of patients, and a decreased sense of personal accomplishment. Factors unique to healthcare settings include high patient to staff ratios, evaluations of effectiveness based on patient outcomes, and the competing demands of policy makers, patients, and clinicians. Work engagement is a product of the positive psychology movement and developed out of the study of burnout. Work engagement is an affective-emotional state of work-related well-being and is characterized as being positive and …

Learning To Swim: The Act Approach To Living With Depression, Ashley Martinez

Honors Projects

This illustrated self-help manual was designed as a basis for treatment for individuals of a wide range of ages experiencing depression. The therapeutic base of the manual is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which outlines the pathology of depression as problems in functioning rather than problems in the individual. The ACT theory of depression views problems in functioning as centered around the way negative emotions are perceived and processed through language and problematic actions or inaction as a result of cognitive distortions. Because of problems with language, the manual is illustrated to help the reader understand the foundations of ACT …

Acceptance And Commitment Therapy For The Treatment Of Posttraumatic Stress Among Adolescents, Michelle R. Woidneck

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The prevalence of exposure to traumatic events among youth in the United States is alarmingly high. Trauma exposure has been linked to numerous negative outcomes, including the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and problematic posttraumatic stress symptomology. Effective trauma-focused treatments for children and adolescents have been identified; however, these treatments also possess various limitations, including a substantial number of individuals who do not respond, show minimal responsiveness, or drop out before completing treatment. Such limitations indicate that investigation into alternative treatment modalities is warranted.

In collaboration with Utah State University (USU), a psychology professor, Dr. Michael Twohig, and a …

Increasing Psychological Flexibility Regarding Interpersonal Conflict Between Religious Beliefs And Attitudes Towards Sexual Minorities: An Acceptance And Commitment Therapy (Act) Intervention, Cory John Myler

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was designed to facilitate the development and assessment of a group therapeutic intervention for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and questioning individuals. Previous research has established that this population is particularly vulnerable to psychological distress and that religiosity contributes to this vulnerability, but there have been no interventions established specifically for the population of sexual minorities who are experiencing religious conflict. The components of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy were used to inform the development of a group intervention, which was then carried out. An assessment battery of numerous quantitative measures was given to participants before and after the intervention to …

Exploring The Impact Of Behaviorally Enacted Vs. Imaginal Delivery Of An Acceptance-Based Metaphor On Acute Panicogenic Distress In Acceptance And Commitment Therapy : A Comparative Evaluation, Kristin N. Herzberg

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Metaphors, or indirect and less literal forms of communication in the therapeutic setting, can be powerful and clinically impactful components of psychosocial interventions. Metaphors are widely used in therapeutic practice, and rest at the core of newer third generation behavior therapies such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT; Hayes, Strosahl & Wilson, 2011). Yet, to date, systematic empirical evaluations of the effectiveness of metaphor in the treatment of anxiety disorders and other forms of psychopathology have been largely ignored. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the impact of an ACT-relevant metaphor on acute panicogenic distress (i.e., panic-like symptoms). Specifically, …

Mechanisms Of Change In Acceptance And Commitment Therapy : The Role Of Self-Compassion, Mindfulness, And Anxiety Sensitivity In Simple And Multiple Mediation, Amanda Russo

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Much of psychotherapy research over the past few decades has focused explicitly on outcomes and neglected examining mediators or mechanisms of change. Not surprisingly, an abundance of outcome research focuses on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Nevertheless, very few studies have examined ACT processes in formal mediation analyses. Three potential mediators of outcomes in ACT include self-compassion, mindfulness, and anxiety sensitivity. The current experiment extends an original evaluation of the effectiveness of two self-help workbooks (traditional Cognitive Behavioral Therapy--CBT--and ACT) for the treatment of anxious suffering in a randomized clinical trial, examining potential simple and multiple mediators responsible for the …