Accepted for/Published in: Journal of Medical Internet Research
Date Submitted: May 2, 2022
Open Peer Review Period: May 2, 2022 - Jun 27, 2022
Date Accepted: Jul 29, 2022
(closed for review but you can still tweet)
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Effects of internet-based acceptance and commitment therapy on process measures: A systematic review and meta-analysis
ABSTRACT
Background:
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is based on a psychological flexibility model encompassing 6 processes, including acceptance, cognitive defusion, self-as-context, being present, values, and committed action.
Objective:
This systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examined effects of internet-based ACT (iACT) on process measures.
Methods:
A comprehensive search was conducted within four databases. The quality of the included RCTs was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration risk of bias tool. Either a random-effects model or a fixed-effects model was used. Subgroup analyses for each outcome were conducted according to the type of control groups, the use of therapist guidance, delivery modes, and the use of targeted participants, when applicable.
Results:
Thirty-four RCTs met the eligibility criteria. Meta-analysis found iACT had a medium effect on psychological flexibility and small effects on mindfulness, valued living, and cognitive deRelatively fewer studies were conducted to compare the effects of iACT to active control groups and to measure the effects on mindfulness, valued living, and cognitive defusion. These synthesized findings support the processes of change in iACT, which mental health practitioners can use to support the use of iACT. fusion at the immediate posttest. Also, iACT had a small effect on psychological flexibility at follow-up. The overall risk of bias across studies was unclear.
Conclusions:
Relatively fewer studies were conducted to compare the effects of iACT to active control groups and to measure the effects on mindfulness, valued living, and cognitive defusion. These synthesized findings support the processes of change in iACT, which mental health practitioners can use to support the use of iACT.
Citation
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Copyright
© The authors. All rights reserved. This is a privileged document currently under peer-review/community review (or an accepted/rejected manuscript). Authors have provided JMIR Publications with an exclusive license to publish this preprint on it's website for review and ahead-of-print citation purposes only. While the final peer-reviewed paper may be licensed under a cc-by license on publication, at this stage authors and publisher expressively prohibit redistribution of this draft paper other than for review purposes.