Acceptance-based interventions in the treatment of PTSD: Group and individual pilot data using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Abstract Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a principle-based behavioral intervention that addresses human suffering using mindfulness and acceptance techniques along with behavioral commitments linked to personal values. While ACT has been applied to a wide variety of problems, it is well suited to the treatment of trauma based on its processes specifically designed to reduce experiential avoidance, and it has only just begun to be investigated for its effectiveness with this population. Furthermore, current drop-out and refusal rates for exposure-based therapies, the main empirically supported intervention for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), necessitate the development of alternatives. The current pilot studies evaluated a 12-session group ACT intervention with 10 veterans diagnosed with PTSD, and a 12-session individual ACT intervention with 9 veterans diagnosed with PTSD. Significant reductions in PTSD symptoms from pre to post or follow-up were found for both the group intervention (n = 10, g = 0.69) and the individual intervention (n = 9; g = 1.24). Decreases in thought suppression as well as increases in aspects of mindfulness and psychological flexibility were also found, but results were mixed and differed by the individual versus group intervention.