Group Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) With Healthy Older Adults

Anne Roche, MA

Status: Completed

Conditions: Aging; Quality of Life

Treatments: Behavioral: Acceptance and Commitment Training

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03839329

201902715

Details and patient eligibility

About

The current study aims to explore the impact of a two-session group Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) intervention compared to an assessment-only control on psychological outcomes in healthy older adults. The proposed study has two main objectives.

1. Examine the impact the intervention on targeted ACT processes over time
2. Examine the impact of the intervention on aspects of eudaimonic well-being over time

Full description

Older adults are a growing segment of our population, and this period of life presents a variety of physical, emotional, environmental, and cognitive changes, even for healthy individuals. The current study aims to explore the impact of a two-session group Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) intervention compared to an assessment-only control on psychological outcomes in healthy, community-dwelling older adults.

Participants will be randomly assigned (stratified by sex) to the ACT group condition or to an assessment-only control group. After randomization, those in the assessment-only control group will be asked to complete four assessments via mail (baseline, one-month, three-month, and six-month). The intervention group will participate in a brief group ACT intervention occurring over two sessions (90 minutes each, approximately one week apart). Intervention participants will also complete assessments at baseline and at one-month, three-months, and six-months post-intervention.

The specific aims and hypotheses of the current study are:

Specific Aim #1: To examine longitudinal between-group differences in targeted ACT processes including psychological flexibility (openness to experience, behavioral awareness, and valued action) and satisfaction with social roles and activities from baseline to follow-up. We hypothesize that there will be significant time by group interaction, such that psychological flexibility and satisfaction with social roles and activities will increase significantly more in the intervention group relative to the assessment-only control group.

Specific Aim #2: To examine longitudinal between-group differences in eudaimonic well-being (purpose in life and personal growth) from baseline to follow-up. We hypothesize that there will be significant time by group interactions, such that purpose in life and personal growth will increase significantly more in the intervention group relative to the assessment-only control group.

Enrollment: 81 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 65 to 99 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• healthy, community-dwelling older adult (age 65-99)

Exclusion criteria

• significant primary psychiatric disease
• medications that have the potential to affect cognitive functioning
• neurological events

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

---

81 participants in 2 patient groups

ACT Group Condition

Experimental group

Description:

The ACT group condition will receive two 90-minute group Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) workshops (scheduled approximately one week apart) and will complete assessments.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Acceptance and Commitment Training

Assessment-Only Condition

No Intervention group

Description:

The Assessment-only condition will not receive any intervention and will only complete assessments.