Evaluating the Effectiveness of ACT for Anxiety Disorders in a Self-Help Context: Outcomes From a Randomized Wait-List Controlled Trial

Ritzert, Timothy R.; Forsyth, John P.; Sheppard, Sean C.; Boswell, James F.; Berghoff, Christopher R.; Eifert, Georg H.

doi:10.1016/j.beth.2016.03.001

Cited by 22 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 65 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Results also provide support for earlier studies, which showed the effectiveness of self-help interventions without therapist contact for e.g. stress, depression or enhancement of psychological flexibility for both cognitive-behavioral therapy (Clarke et al, 2005;Morledge et al, 2013) and ACT (Jeffcoat & Hayes, 2012;Muto, Hayes, & Jeffcoat, 2011;Ritzert et al, 2016).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

Self-help for stress and burnout without therapist contact: An online randomised controlled trial

Hofer

Waadt²,

Aschwanden

et al. 2017

Work & Stress

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Interventions designed to reduce stress and burnout may be costly and access is limited. This study examined the effectiveness of a self-help book, using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to target stress and burnout in a randomized controlled online trial without any therapist contact. Participants were recruited through a newsletter of a health insurance company. Participants (N = 119) who reported at least moderate levels of stress were randomly assigned to an immediate intervention (n = 61) or a waitlist group (n = 58). Measures before and after the intervention assessed stress, burnout (primary outcomes), depression, well-being, emotion regulation (secondary outcomes) and ACT-specific constructs. Compared to the WL, participants in the immediate intervention group reported lower stress and burnout and higher psychological flexibility at postassessment. Effects between groups were large for stress (d = 0.9), moderate to large for burnout (d=0.5-0.8) and large for psychological flexibility (d = 0.8). All primary and most secondary outcomes and ACT processes continued to improve in the 3-month-follow-up period. Results suggest that an ACT self-help book without any therapist contact is effective in reducing stress and burnout for various occupations. Thus, it may provide a cost-effective public health intervention for reducing stress and burnout.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

Self-help for stress and burnout without therapist contact: An online randomised controlled trial

Hofer

Waadt²,

Aschwanden

et al. 2017

Work & Stress

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Self-guided interventions are a promising avenue for increasing the efficiency, effectiveness, and reach of ACT. For example, a number of clinical trials in the past decade have found ACT to be effective when delivered through self-help books (e.g., Ritzert et al, 2016); websites (e.g., Lappalainen et al, 2014; Levin, Haeger, Pierce, & Twohig, 2017); and, most recently, mobile apps (e.g., Bricker, Wyszynski, Comstock, & Heffner, 2013; Torous, Levin, Ahern, & Oser, 2017). Common barriers that prevent individuals in need from accessing treatment include financial limitations, lack of local providers, and concerns about mental health stigma (Andrade et al, 2014).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Multiple Versions of an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Matrix App for Well-Being

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Mobile apps may be useful in teaching psychological skills in a high-frequency, low-intensity intervention. The acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) matrix is a visual tool to help develop psychological flexibility by categorizing moment-to-moment experience and is well suited to a mobile app. This pilot study tested the effects of a simple and complex version of a novel app using the ACT matrix in two distinct samples: help-seeking individuals ( n = 35) and students receiving SONA credit ( n = 63). Findings indicated no differences between app conditions and a waitlist condition in the SONA credit sample. However, in the help-seeking sample, improvements were found on well-being and valued action in participants who used the app, with greater improvements and app adoption for those using a complex version with additional skills. A mobile app based on the ACT matrix has benefits for help-seeking individuals, but supplementary features may be necessary to support consistent use and benefits.

show abstract

“…Research suggests at least some self-help books can be efficacious in delivering evidence-based interventions (e.g., Ritzert et al, 2016;Jeffcoat & Hayes, 2012). This provides an additional option for receiving mental health support, serving to further expand the "portfolio" of treatment options available.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Do College Students Use Online Self-Help? A Survey of Intentions and Use of Mental Health Resources

Levin

Stocke

Pierce

et al. 2017

Journal of College Student Psychotherapy

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Online self-help may help increase the reach of mental health services for college students, but little research has examined students' actual interest/use of these resources. An online survey of 389 college students examined intentions and use of online mental health resources as compared with other support options. Findings indicated the highest intentions/use of informal supports (e.g., parents, friends) for mental health problems and lowest intentions/use for online self-help. However, a subset of students showed a preference for online self-help over other forms of support. Participants were also more likely to request online self-help resources (21%) than in-person therapy resources (9%) when offered these options. Reported barriers were also identified for using mobile apps specifically (e.g., stigma, credibility, privacy). Overall, results suggest mixed findings and relatively low interest for use of online self-help among college students, while highlighting potential barriers that might be addressed to increase engagement.

show abstract

Evaluating the Effectiveness of ACT for Anxiety Disorders in a Self-Help Context: Outcomes From a Randomized Wait-List Controlled Trial

Cited by 22 publications

References 65 publications

Self-help for stress and burnout without therapist contact: An online randomised controlled trial

Self-help for stress and burnout without therapist contact: An online randomised controlled trial

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Multiple Versions of an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Matrix App for Well-Being

Do College Students Use Online Self-Help? A Survey of Intentions and Use of Mental Health Resources

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About