Randomized Controlled Trial of a Brief Acceptance and Commitment Training for Parents of Individuals Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders

We examined the effect of a brief Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) based intervention for eighteen parents of children with autism compared to a matched randomized control group. The treatment group demonstrated statistically significant improvements (p < 0.05) and large effect sizes on six of eight self-report measures following treatment, including the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (p=0.0318, d=0.94), Beck Depression Inventory-II (p=0.0239, d=−1.01), Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire-13 (p=0.0485, d=0.83), Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (p=0.007, d=1.29), Internalized Shame Scale (p=0.0052, d=−1.37), Personal Values Questionnaire-II (p=0.0159, d=1.11), White Bear Suppression Inventory (p=0.1732, d=0.46), and Frieburg Mindfulness Inventory (p=0.2506, d=0.32). These results suggest that a brief ACT-based intervention may be efficacious in treating the psychological challenges of parents of children with autism.
Source: Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research