Comparative Analysis of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy’s Effectiveness in an Intensive Outpatient Program Setting

Author

Efrain Frank Ellin IIIFollow

Campus Location

Abilene Campus (Residential)

Date of Award

5-2024

ORCID

https://orcid.org/0009-0009-0127-3397

Document Type

Thesis

Department

Social Work

Degree Name

Master of Science

Committee Chair or Primary Advisor

Alan J. Lipps

Second Committee Member or Secondary Advisor

Erica Vasquez

Third Committee Member or Committee Reader

Trisha Nowak

Abstract

This thesis presents a comparative analysis of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and treatment as usual (TAU) within an intensive outpatient program setting, evaluating their effectiveness in enhancing various dimensions of psychological well-being. Guided by two main research questions, the study investigates whether ACT demonstrates greater or equal effectiveness compared to TAU and if it provides more immediate effects on psychological well-being within three weeks. Utilizing a quasi-experimental design, the research incorporates a comprehensive array of measurement tools to assess outcomes related to anxiety, depression, stress, psychological flexibility, cognitive flexibility, emotion regulation, mindfulness self-efficacy, and life satisfaction among participants. The findings indicate that both ACT and TAU significantly improve psychological outcomes, with no substantial difference in effectiveness between the two treatments. This suggests that ACT, while effective, may not be superior to TAU in the short-term intensive outpatient context. The study highlights the importance of offering a variety of evidence-based therapeutic approaches within mental health care settings. The study underscores the need for further research to explore the long-term effects and individual predictors of treatment response. This research contributes to the literature by affirming the value of ACT in diverse clinical settings, albeit calling for more nuanced studies to optimize mental health interventions.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Ellin, Efrain Frank III, "Comparative Analysis of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy’s Effectiveness in an Intensive Outpatient Program Setting" (2024). Digital Commons @ ACU, Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 771.
https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/etd/771