Application of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in Children and Adolescents Psychotherapy: An Umbrella Review
-
Gooya Tayyebi
,
Nathera Hussin Alwan
,
Ameera Fares Hamed
,
Alhan Abdulhasan Shallal
,
Thaiba Abdulrazzaq
,
Reyhane Khayayi
Abstract
Objective: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an evidence-based psychological intervention that has gained increasing attention in recent years. While extensively studied for its effectiveness in adult populations, there has been growing interest in exploring the application of ACT in children and adolescents psychotherapy. This umbrella review aims to provide an overview of the current literature on the use and efficacy of ACT in children and adolescents, as well as to highlight potential considerations and future directions for research.
Method: A comprehensive search was done in scientific databases, including Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Sciences, using keywords related to ACT, children, adolescents, and psychotherapy. Relevant articles were included, with a focus on systematic reviews and meta-analysis.
Results: Our findings indicate consistent effectiveness for ACT and related interventions across various delivery formats, including in-person, group, and internet-based approaches, in reducing symptoms of internalizing and externalizing problems, as well as improving overall quality of life among children and adolescents. However, two articles comparing ACT with traditional cognitive behavioral therapy did not demonstrate superiority. Additionally, when comparing internet-based and in-person delivery modes, the included studies did not show significant differences between the two types.
Conclusion: ACT shows promise as an effective therapeutic approach in children and adolescents psychotherapy. However, more research is warranted to establish its specific techniques and adaptations for different age groups and presenting problems. Additionally, future research should explore the feasibility and effectiveness of delivering ACT in varied settings.
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2. Hayes SC, Luoma JB, Bond FW, Masuda A, Lillis J. Acceptance and commitment therapy: model, processes and outcomes. Behav Res Ther. 2006;44(1):1-25.
3. Gloster AT, Walder N, Levin ME, Twohig MP, Karekla M. The empirical status of acceptance and commitment therapy: A review of meta-analyses. J Contextual Behav Sci. 2020;18:181-92.
4. Masoumian S, Ashouri A, Ghomian S, Keshtkar M, Siahkamary E, Vahed N. Efficacy of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Compared to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on Anger and Interpersonal Relationships of Male Students. Iran J Psychiatry. 2021;16(1):21-9.
5. Beygi Z, Tighband Jangali R, Derakhshan N, Alidadi M, Javanbakhsh F, Mahboobizadeh M. An Overview of Reviews on the Effects of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on Depression and Anxiety. Iran J Psychiatry. 2023;18(2):248-57.
6. Vakili Y, Gharraee B. The effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy in treating a case of obsessive compulsive disorder. Iran J Psychiatry. 2014;9(2):115-7.
7. Assaz DA, Roche B, Kanter JW, Oshiro CK. Cognitive defusion in acceptance and commitment therapy: What are the basic processes of change? Psychol Rec. 2018;68:405-18.
8. Ahmadi Ghahnaviyeh L, Bagherian B, Feizi A, Afshari A, Mostafavi Darani F. The Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Quality of Life in a Patient with Myocardial Infarction: A Randomized Control Trial. Iran J Psychiatry. 2020;15(1):1-9.
9. Sahebari M, Asghari Ebrahimabad MJ, Ahmadi Shoraketokanlo A, Aghamohammadian Sharbaf H, Khodashahi M. Efficacy of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in Reducing Disappointment, Psychological Distress, and Psychasthenia among Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) Patients. Iran J Psychiatry. 2019;14(2):130-6.
10. Arch JJ, Fishbein JN, Finkelstein LB, Luoma JB. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Processes and Mediation: Challenges and How to Address Them. Behav Ther. 2023;54(6):971-88.
11. Parmar A, Esser K, Barreira L, Miller D, Morinis L, Chong YY, et al. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Children with Special Health Care Needs and Their Parents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(15).
12. Assaz DA, Tyndall I, Oshiro CKB, Roche B. A Process-Based Analysis of Cognitive Defusion in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Behav Ther. 2023;54(6):1020-35.
13. Daks JS, Peltz JS, Rogge RD. Psychological flexibility and inflexibility as sources of resiliency and risk during a pandemic: Modeling the cascade of COVID-19 stress on family systems with a contextual behavioral science lens. J Contextual Behav Sci. 2020;18:16-27.
14. Williams AJ, Botanov Y, Giovanetti AK, Perko VL, Sutherland CL, Youngren W, et al. A Metascientific Review of the Evidential Value of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Depression. Behav Ther. 2023;54(6):989-1005.
15. Halliburton AE, Cooper LD. Applications and adaptations of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for adolescents. J Contextual Behav Sci. 2015;4(1):1-11.
16. Byrne G, Ghráda Á N, O'Mahony T, Brennan E. A systematic review of the use of acceptance and commitment therapy in supporting parents. Psychol Psychother. 2021;94 Suppl 2:378-407.
17. Livheim F, Hayes L, Ghaderi A, Magnusdottir T, Högfeldt A, Rowse J, et al. The effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy for adolescent mental health: Swedish and Australian pilot outcomes. J Child Fam Stud. 2015;24:1016-30.
18. Mohammadi MR, Ahmadi N, Khaleghi A, Mostafavi SA, Kamali K, Rahgozar M, et al. Prevalence and Correlates of Psychiatric Disorders in a National Survey of Iranian Children and Adolescents. Iran J Psychiatry. 2019;14(1):1-15.
19. Cicchetti D, Rogosch FA. A developmental psychopathology perspective on adolescence. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2002;70(1):6-20.
20. Subramanyam AA, Somaiya M, De Sousa A. Mental health and well-being in children and adolescents. Indian J Psychiatry. 2024;66(Suppl 2):S304-s19.
21. Tehranidoost M, Mahmoudi-Gharaei J, Alavi A, Mohammadi MR, Shahrivar Z, Saadat S. Children mental health problems: Parent report form of strength and difficulties questionnaire. Iran J Psychiatry. 2008;3(1):26-31.
22. Stallard P. Cognitive behaviour therapy with children and young people: A selective review of key issues. Behav Cogn Psychother. 2002;30(3):297-309.
23. Grave J, Blissett J. Is cognitive behavior therapy developmentally appropriate for young children? A critical review of the evidence. Clin Psychol Rev. 2004;24(4):399-420.
24. Fang P, Tan L, Cui J, Yu L. Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for people with advanced cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. J Adv Nurs. 2023;79(2):519-38.
25. Towey-Swift KD, Lauvrud C, Whittington R. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for professional staff burnout: a systematic review and narrative synthesis of controlled trials. J Ment Health. 2023;32(2):452-64.
26. Whiting P, Savović J, Higgins JP, Caldwell DM, Reeves BC, Shea B, et al. ROBIS: A new tool to assess risk of bias in systematic reviews was developed. J Clin Epidemiol. 2016;69:225-34.
27. Damián Núñez EF, Soria Villanueva LM, Tejada Mendoza MA, Alcoser SDI, Garay JPP, Hernández-Vásquez R. Perfectionism as a Paradoxical Factor in Sport and Exercise Performance: An Umbrella Review. Iran J Psychiatry. 2024;19(2):247-54.
28. Burley J, McAloon J. Group acceptance and commitment therapy for adolescent anxiety: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Contextual Behav Sci. 2023.
29. Binder F, Mehl R, Resch F, Kaess M, Koenig J. Interventions Based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Stress Reduction in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Psychopathology. 2023:1-17.
30. Perkins AM, Meiser-Stedman R, Spaul SW, Bowers G, Perkins AG, Pass L. The effectiveness of third wave cognitive behavioural therapies for children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Clin Psychol. 2023;62(1):209-27.
31. Fang S, Ding D. A meta-analysis of the efficacy of acceptance and commitment therapy for children. J Contextual Behav Sci. 2020;15:225-34.
32. Baveja D, Shukla J, Srivastava S. Utility of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Among Adolescents-A Systematic Review. Current Psychiatry Research and Reviews Formerly: Curr Psychiatry Rev. 2022;18(2):108-24.
33. Harris E, Samuel V. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: A Systematic Literature Review of Prevention and Intervention Programs for Mental Health Difficulties in Children and Young People. J Cogn Psychother. 2020;34(4):280-305.
34. Swain J, Hancock K, Dixon A, Bowman J. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for children: A systematic review of intervention studies. J Contextual Behav Sci. 2015;4(2):73-85.
35. Byrne G, Cullen C. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Anger, Irritability, and Aggression in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults: A Systematic Review of Intervention Studies. Trauma Violence Abuse. 2024;25(2):935-46.
36. Wang J, Fang S. Effects of Internet-Based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (IACT) on Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Int J Ment Health Promot. 2023;25(4).
2. Hayes SC, Luoma JB, Bond FW, Masuda A, Lillis J. Acceptance and commitment therapy: model, processes and outcomes. Behav Res Ther. 2006;44(1):1-25.
3. Gloster AT, Walder N, Levin ME, Twohig MP, Karekla M. The empirical status of acceptance and commitment therapy: A review of meta-analyses. J Contextual Behav Sci. 2020;18:181-92.
4. Masoumian S, Ashouri A, Ghomian S, Keshtkar M, Siahkamary E, Vahed N. Efficacy of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Compared to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on Anger and Interpersonal Relationships of Male Students. Iran J Psychiatry. 2021;16(1):21-9.
5. Beygi Z, Tighband Jangali R, Derakhshan N, Alidadi M, Javanbakhsh F, Mahboobizadeh M. An Overview of Reviews on the Effects of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on Depression and Anxiety. Iran J Psychiatry. 2023;18(2):248-57.
6. Vakili Y, Gharraee B. The effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy in treating a case of obsessive compulsive disorder. Iran J Psychiatry. 2014;9(2):115-7.
7. Assaz DA, Roche B, Kanter JW, Oshiro CK. Cognitive defusion in acceptance and commitment therapy: What are the basic processes of change? Psychol Rec. 2018;68:405-18.
8. Ahmadi Ghahnaviyeh L, Bagherian B, Feizi A, Afshari A, Mostafavi Darani F. The Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Quality of Life in a Patient with Myocardial Infarction: A Randomized Control Trial. Iran J Psychiatry. 2020;15(1):1-9.
9. Sahebari M, Asghari Ebrahimabad MJ, Ahmadi Shoraketokanlo A, Aghamohammadian Sharbaf H, Khodashahi M. Efficacy of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in Reducing Disappointment, Psychological Distress, and Psychasthenia among Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) Patients. Iran J Psychiatry. 2019;14(2):130-6.
10. Arch JJ, Fishbein JN, Finkelstein LB, Luoma JB. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Processes and Mediation: Challenges and How to Address Them. Behav Ther. 2023;54(6):971-88.
11. Parmar A, Esser K, Barreira L, Miller D, Morinis L, Chong YY, et al. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Children with Special Health Care Needs and Their Parents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(15).
12. Assaz DA, Tyndall I, Oshiro CKB, Roche B. A Process-Based Analysis of Cognitive Defusion in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Behav Ther. 2023;54(6):1020-35.
13. Daks JS, Peltz JS, Rogge RD. Psychological flexibility and inflexibility as sources of resiliency and risk during a pandemic: Modeling the cascade of COVID-19 stress on family systems with a contextual behavioral science lens. J Contextual Behav Sci. 2020;18:16-27.
14. Williams AJ, Botanov Y, Giovanetti AK, Perko VL, Sutherland CL, Youngren W, et al. A Metascientific Review of the Evidential Value of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Depression. Behav Ther. 2023;54(6):989-1005.
15. Halliburton AE, Cooper LD. Applications and adaptations of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for adolescents. J Contextual Behav Sci. 2015;4(1):1-11.
16. Byrne G, Ghráda Á N, O'Mahony T, Brennan E. A systematic review of the use of acceptance and commitment therapy in supporting parents. Psychol Psychother. 2021;94 Suppl 2:378-407.
17. Livheim F, Hayes L, Ghaderi A, Magnusdottir T, Högfeldt A, Rowse J, et al. The effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy for adolescent mental health: Swedish and Australian pilot outcomes. J Child Fam Stud. 2015;24:1016-30.
18. Mohammadi MR, Ahmadi N, Khaleghi A, Mostafavi SA, Kamali K, Rahgozar M, et al. Prevalence and Correlates of Psychiatric Disorders in a National Survey of Iranian Children and Adolescents. Iran J Psychiatry. 2019;14(1):1-15.
19. Cicchetti D, Rogosch FA. A developmental psychopathology perspective on adolescence. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2002;70(1):6-20.
20. Subramanyam AA, Somaiya M, De Sousa A. Mental health and well-being in children and adolescents. Indian J Psychiatry. 2024;66(Suppl 2):S304-s19.
21. Tehranidoost M, Mahmoudi-Gharaei J, Alavi A, Mohammadi MR, Shahrivar Z, Saadat S. Children mental health problems: Parent report form of strength and difficulties questionnaire. Iran J Psychiatry. 2008;3(1):26-31.
22. Stallard P. Cognitive behaviour therapy with children and young people: A selective review of key issues. Behav Cogn Psychother. 2002;30(3):297-309.
23. Grave J, Blissett J. Is cognitive behavior therapy developmentally appropriate for young children? A critical review of the evidence. Clin Psychol Rev. 2004;24(4):399-420.
24. Fang P, Tan L, Cui J, Yu L. Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for people with advanced cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. J Adv Nurs. 2023;79(2):519-38.
25. Towey-Swift KD, Lauvrud C, Whittington R. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for professional staff burnout: a systematic review and narrative synthesis of controlled trials. J Ment Health. 2023;32(2):452-64.
26. Whiting P, Savović J, Higgins JP, Caldwell DM, Reeves BC, Shea B, et al. ROBIS: A new tool to assess risk of bias in systematic reviews was developed. J Clin Epidemiol. 2016;69:225-34.
27. Damián Núñez EF, Soria Villanueva LM, Tejada Mendoza MA, Alcoser SDI, Garay JPP, Hernández-Vásquez R. Perfectionism as a Paradoxical Factor in Sport and Exercise Performance: An Umbrella Review. Iran J Psychiatry. 2024;19(2):247-54.
28. Burley J, McAloon J. Group acceptance and commitment therapy for adolescent anxiety: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Contextual Behav Sci. 2023.
29. Binder F, Mehl R, Resch F, Kaess M, Koenig J. Interventions Based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Stress Reduction in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Psychopathology. 2023:1-17.
30. Perkins AM, Meiser-Stedman R, Spaul SW, Bowers G, Perkins AG, Pass L. The effectiveness of third wave cognitive behavioural therapies for children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Clin Psychol. 2023;62(1):209-27.
31. Fang S, Ding D. A meta-analysis of the efficacy of acceptance and commitment therapy for children. J Contextual Behav Sci. 2020;15:225-34.
32. Baveja D, Shukla J, Srivastava S. Utility of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Among Adolescents-A Systematic Review. Current Psychiatry Research and Reviews Formerly: Curr Psychiatry Rev. 2022;18(2):108-24.
33. Harris E, Samuel V. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: A Systematic Literature Review of Prevention and Intervention Programs for Mental Health Difficulties in Children and Young People. J Cogn Psychother. 2020;34(4):280-305.
34. Swain J, Hancock K, Dixon A, Bowman J. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for children: A systematic review of intervention studies. J Contextual Behav Sci. 2015;4(2):73-85.
35. Byrne G, Cullen C. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Anger, Irritability, and Aggression in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults: A Systematic Review of Intervention Studies. Trauma Violence Abuse. 2024;25(2):935-46.
36. Wang J, Fang S. Effects of Internet-Based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (IACT) on Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Int J Ment Health Promot. 2023;25(4).
| Files | ||
| Issue | Vol 19 No 3 (2024) | |
| Section | Review Article(s) | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.18502/ijps.v19i3.15809 | |
| Keywords | ||
| Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Adolescents Children Psychotherapy. | ||
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How to Cite
1.
Tayyebi G, Alwan NH, Fares Hamed A, Abdulhasan Shallal A, Abdulrazzaq T, Khayayi R. Application of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in Children and Adolescents Psychotherapy: An Umbrella Review. Iran J Psychiatry. 2024;19(3):337-343.
