Patient Experience and Satisfaction With Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Delivered in a Complimentary Open Group Format for Adults With Eating Disorders

Abstract

We examined patient experiences and satisfaction with acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) delivered in a novel weekly open-group therapy format immediately following psychiatric intake assessment into a hospital-based outpatient adult eating disorders program. Participants were 68 adults with a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition diagnosis of an eating disorder who reported their experiences and satisfaction with the ACT group. Participants reported that they were somewhat satisfied to very satisfied with the open ACT group and that the treatment content was helpful. Specifically, participants reported that ACT group helped them to recognize their personal values and learn strategies for behavior change. Satisfaction with ACT group was associated with engagement in the broader group therapy program. Results suggest that ACT delivered in an open group format is well liked by adults in an outpatient program for eating disorders. ACT is a promising complimentary treatment for individuals with eating disorders that can be easily integrated by clinicians into outpatient care.

Ready or Not: Examining Self-Reported Readiness for Behavior Change at Intake Assessment for Adults With an Eating Disorder

“…In total, 61 participants (56.50%) attended at least one CBT group session. The remaining participants either did not attend any treatment programming (14.8%) or only attended the clinic’s adjunct groups (28.7%), including nutrition groups, acceptance and commitment therapy, and cognitive-remediation therapy (Mac Neil & Hudson, 2018; Mac Neil, Leung, Nadkarni, Stubbs, & Singh, 2016; Mac Neil, Nadkarni, et al, 2016; Sandoz, Wilson, & DuFrene, 2011; Tchanturia, Davies, Reeder, & Wykes, 2010). Approximately one quarter (24.59%) of participants dropped out of the CBT group.…”

“An Expanded Window of Understanding a Changed Everyday Life”—Experiences From Patients With Long-Term Conditions After Attending Group Learning Sessions

“…Others have also described community as vital and include the value of sharing knowledge with others who understand the unique situation ( 20 ). In group learning sessions with people with eating disorders, participants describe that attending the group helped them to clarify personal values outside their condition and how to prioritize recovery and encourage one another toward behavioral change ( 25 ). Therefore, supporting each other from the basis of knowledge gained from lived experiences adds a perspective that a meeting with health care providers cannot present to that extent.…”

“…Another limitation is that the total number of participants in each round was unknown to the research team, but according to the use of a qualitative design, this limitation has less influence on the study results. Thus, participants had attended different group learning sessions and had experiences from several longterm conditions which can strengthen the study results (25). Trustworthiness has been strengthened by describing the analytical procedure and involving several researchers who have experience in qualitative research.…”

Qualitative patient experiences from the Self-Blame and Perspective-Taking Intervention for eating disorders

“…Group interventions for EDs in outpatient settings have been shown to be feasible and acceptable [ 30 , 31 ]. We propose that challenges in navigating social environments, such as impairments in emotional appraisal and difficulty receiving social support, may increase ED symptom expression.…”