The effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on general anxiety

Abstract

Objective (s): The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on the incidence of anxiety in patients with anxiety disorder. Methods: This was a semi-experimental study with pretest and post-test evaluation and with control group. The study used a multistage cluster random sampling method to recruit 28 patients (14 patients for experimental group and 14 patients for control group). The experimental group received the ACT while the control group received the normal care. The following questionnaires were used to collect data: Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and Interpersonal Sensitivity Scale (IPSM). Results: The results of the covariance analysis showed that acceptance and commitment therapy could reduce the overall anxiety in the experimental group at a significant level. Decreases in mental anxiety, physical, panic, shyness, separation anxiety, and the need for patient approval were highly desirable. Conclusion: The findings suggest that the acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can be used as an adjunct therapy to reduce the incidence of anxiety symptoms in patients suffering from anxiety disorders.

Keywords

• generalized anxiety
• act
• contractual and acceptable treatment
• experimental avoidance