Acceptance commitment therapy group for treatment-resistant participants

Acceptance commitment therapy group for treatment-resistant participants: a randomised controlled trial

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ISRCTN

Registry ID

ISRCTN17801606

Enrollment

Registered

2013-02-21

Start date

2008-02-01

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2020-02-24

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Treatment resistant mental health conditions Mental and Behavioural Disorders Unspecified mental disorder

Interventions

The intervention group received 16 sessions of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy over 16 weeks, and were followed-up 6 months after completion of the study. The control group received

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: 1. Participants who had been re-referred with significant mental health difficulties 2. Participants who had completed at least one previous episode of therapy, lasting 8 sessions or more 3. Participants could be male or female, and aged 18+

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: 1. Psychotic illness, substance dependence and intellectual disability [based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV)] 2. Participants who engaged in self-harming behaviour in the previous 6 months before commencement of the study (based on Kreitman, 1977) 3. Participants who had a current eating disorder and a body mass index (BMI) of < 16

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
1. The Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) was used to assess depression, with higher scores indicating greater depressive severity. 2. To measure psychiatric distress we used the Symptom Check List -90 Revised (SCL-90-R), with higher scores indicating a greater severity of symptoms. Psychiatric distress was measured using the Global Severity Index (GSI), with a higher score indicating greater distress. All measures were completed pre- and post-intervention and at follow-up.	—

Measure

Time frame

1. The Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) was used to assess depression, with higher scores indicating greater depressive severity. 2. To measure psychiatric distress we used the Symptom Check List -90 Revised (SCL-90-R), with higher scores indicating a greater severity of symptoms. Psychiatric distress was measured using the Global Severity Index (GSI), with a higher score indicating greater distress. All measures were completed pre- and post-intervention and at follow-up.

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Secondary

Measure	Time frame
1. Quality of life was assessed with the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL) at pre- and post-intervention and at 6 month follow-up, with higher scores indicating a greater quality of life. We used the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis II Disorders (SCID-II) to assess symptoms of personality disorder at baseline and 6-month follow-up. 2. In addition, measures designed to assess the processes of psychological change were assessed. The Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (AAQ, 9-item) assessed psychological flexibility, with higher scores indicating greater psychological flexibility. We used the 15-item Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) to assess the frequency of mindful states, with higher scores indicating greater mindful awareness. Finally, the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire/Thought Believability and Frequency (ATQ/TBTF) is a 30-item measure that assessed the believability and frequency of intrusive thoughts on a 5-point scale.	—

Measure

Time frame

1. Quality of life was assessed with the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL) at pre- and post-intervention and at 6 month follow-up, with higher scores indicating a greater quality of life. We used the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis II Disorders (SCID-II) to assess symptoms of personality disorder at baseline and 6-month follow-up. 2. In addition, measures designed to assess the processes of psychological change were assessed. The Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (AAQ, 9-item) assessed psychological flexibility, with higher scores indicating greater psychological flexibility. We used the 15-item Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) to assess the frequency of mindful states, with higher scores indicating greater mindful awareness. Finally, the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire/Thought Believability and Frequency (ATQ/TBTF) is a 30-item measure that assessed the believability and frequency of intrusive thoughts on a 5-point scale.

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Countries

United Kingdom

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ISRCTN (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026