Work

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Posttraumatic Psychopathology: A Group-Based Telehealth Intervention

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Transdiagnostic treatments are needed to address the diverse manifestations and effects of trauma-related psychopathology. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a promising intervention, although little is known about its application among trauma-exposed civilians. A single-arm pilot study evaluated outcomes of a virtual, group-based ACT intervention for trauma delivered through a training clinic. METHODS: Five female clients (mean age=42.6 years) with a history of criterion A trauma completed an 11-week skills group and repeated measures assessing posttraumatic and related psychopathology symptoms (e.g., depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD]), emotion regulation, quality of life, posttraumatic growth, and experiential avoidance. Paired-samples t tests were used to assess pre- to postintervention effects. RESULTS: 1.22, p=0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Findings provide initial evidence for acceptability and beneficial clinical outcomes of a virtual, group-based ACT intervention to address the transdiagnostic consequences of traumatic stress.

Source: American Journal of Psychotherapy

DOI: 10.1176/appi.psychotherapy.20240030

Authors: Jordan L. Thomas, Julia S. Yarrington, Tiffany Chen, Rosalita Benedicto, Jennifer A. Sumner, Danielle Keenan-Miller