Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Steven C Hayes University

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Steven C. Hayes University of Nevada

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy • It is said as one word, not letters • A cognitive behavioral intervention that uses acceptance and mindfulness processes, and commitment and behavior change processes, to create psychological flexibility

Psychological Flexibility … is consciously contacting the present more fully, without needless defense, and based on what the situation affords, changing or persisting in behavior in the service of chosen values.

ACT Is transdiagnostic: focused on common core processes known to underlie many forms of psychopathology This makes it broadly applicable, and especially well suited to multi -problem patients

Expanding avoidance v. All animals escape and avoid aversive events

But only humans can readily bring aversive events into any setting “Car” CAR

So We Try to Avoid Pain Itself • Experiential avoidance is built into human language and then amplified by the culture – Experiential avoidance is the tendency to attempt to alter the form, frequency, or situational sensitivity of historically produced negative private experience (emotions, thoughts, bodily sensations) even when attempts to do so cause psychological and behavioral harm

ACT This is a logical step, but it tends to amplify pain or at least its impact, not decrease it Especially toxic for those with difficult histories or physiology Why toxic?

Self-Amplifying Don’t think of a white bear Don’t be anxious

Puts Life on Hold

Increases Arousal and Stress

Repertoire Narrowing

The ACT Model Psychological Flexibility

Open

Centered

Engaged

Empirically • ACT is recognized as an evidence-based therapy by APA and SAMSHA (areas so far: depression; chronic pain; coping with psychosis; worksite stress; OCD) • 40 RCTs • 42 component studies; 38 mediation studies • Over 150 studies on experiential avoidance and psychological flexibility

What is Remarkable about the ACT Literature • The variety of problems it can help treat • The range of formats that can be used • Size and stability of outcomes in comparison to the extent of intervention

Controlled Studies in Mental Health • Obsessive-compulsive disorder; generalized anxiety disorder; panic disorder; depression; polysubstance abuse; coping with psychosis; borderline personality disorder; trichotillomania; marijuana dependence; skin picking; eating disorders

Controlled Studies in Behavioral Medicine • chronic pain; smoking; diabetes management; adjustment to cancer; epilepsy; whiplash associated disorders; chronic pediatric pain; weight-maintenance; exercise; work stress; adjustment to tinnitus;

ACT for Depression

ACT for COD

ACT / CBT Comparisons • 8 ACT better • 1 CBT better • 3 Both are the same • Change processes so far always different

ACT for Psychosis

ACT (etc) for BPD (Gratz et al 2006) Small RCT (N = 22); patients with at least 5/9 DSM BPD features (8 or more on the RDIB) History and current (last 6 mo) selfharm In individual therapy (stayed in – the group was in addition) 14 weekly groups; 90 minutes each

ACT (etc) for BPD (Gratz et al 2006) 1. Function of self-harm behavior 2. Function of emotions 3 -4. Emotional awareness 5. Primary vs. secondary emotions 6. Clear vs. cloudy emotions 7 -8. Emotional avoidance vs. acceptance 9. Nonavoidant emotion regulation strategies 10. Impulse control 11 -12. Valued directions 13 -14. Commitment to valued actions

Self Harm Mean Score 30 20 TAU 10 ACT etc Pre Post Phase

Depression Mean Score 30 20 TAU ACT etc 10 Pre Post Phase

ACT for BPD (Morton et al. , in press) Small RCT (N = 41); patients with at least 4 DSM BPD features Regular individual treatment contact (stayed in – the group was in addition) 12 weekly groups; 2 hours each

ACT for BPD (Morton et al in press) 1. Overview of ACT. Intro to mindfulness 2. Cost of avoidance; beginning values 3 -4. Acceptance and defusion 5. Mindfulness of pleasure 6. Emotional awareness 7 -8. Health and relationship values 9. Mindfulness in conflict 10. Values and choice 11. Mindfulness and acceptance 12. Review and celebration

Borderline Severity Mean Score 50 TAU 40 ACT 30 Pre Post Phase 3 mo F-Up

Hopelessness Mean Score 18 TAU 12 ACT 6 Pre Post Phase 3 mo F-Up

Impact of ACT Self Help Sub-analysis of 46 depressed teachers in a wellness program 8 weeks to read the book

Average for Hospitalized Depressed Patients Book Analysis of 0, 2, 6 month data: p eta sq =. 25 (large effect size) Teacher Sample How about clinical significance? Book O 2 6 8 % who get across that green line Depressed Teacher Subsample

Percentage Clinically Improved 56. 5% Book Depressed Teacher Subsample

ACT Good books now available in Dutch, for example Rokx, T. A. J. J. (2011). Het Leven is geen Feest; de mythe van het maakbare geluk. Amsterdam, Hogrefe.