Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) as a Workshop Intervention for Body Image Dissatisfaction and Disordered Eating Attitudes

This study was a small randomized clinical trial collecting pilot data to assess the effectiveness of a one day Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) workshop targeting body dissatisfaction and disordered eating attitudes. The treatment was compared to a wait-list control condition. The participants were seventy-three women from a local university and a medium sized city in the Western United States. Participants in the wait-list control group completed one week of self-monitoring of hunger and satiety and attended three appointments where they completed standardized measures. Subsequently they were offered the workshop and completed measures immediately post-workshop. Participants in the treatment group attended an initial appointment where they completed standardized measures. Then they attended the workshop and post-measures, and then attended two, once weekly follow up appointments. They also self-monitored hunger and satiety for one week following the workshop. Disordered eating pathology, body anxiety, distress related to thoughts about eating and body image and measures of experiential avoidance showed significant reductions in the treatment group when compared to the control group. Acceptance was shown as a mediating variable for changes in distress levels related to thoughts about eating and body image. Implications are that the study shows strong support as a brief intervention for a broad range of women experiencing disordered eating attitudes and distress related to eating and body image

Mindfulness and trauma: Implications for treatment

Mindfulness, originally a construct used in Eastern spiritual and philosophical traditions, has found new utility in psychotherapy practice. Mindfulness practice has been recently applied to treatments of several psychological and health related problems, and research is showing successful outcomes in psychological interventions incorporating mindfulness practices. Several schools of psychotherapy have theorized why mindfulness may be an effective intervention. One population which would theoretically be benefited by mindfulness practice in treatment consists of those individuals who have experienced traumatic events and are exhibiting post-traumatic stress disorder and/or related correlates of past trauma. The present paper gives a general review of the application of mindfulness to clinical psychology interventions. Additionally, we explain how mindfulness is applicable to our integrative behavioral approach to treating trauma and its sequelae. Specifically, this paper will (a) give a general overview of the conceptions and applications of mindfulness to psychology and psychotherapy and provide a brief account of the concepts origins in eastern traditions; (b) discuss the theoretical conceptualization of clinical problems that may relate to the long-term correlates of trauma; (c) describe how mindfulness, acceptance and the therapeutic relationship can address trauma symptoms and discuss a modified treatment approach for trauma survivors that incorporates mindfulness and acceptance practices into traditional exposure treatment. © 2006 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc

A Pilot Study of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as a Workshop Intervention for Body Dissatisfaction and Disordered Eating Attitudes

Body image dissatisfaction is a source of significant distress among non-eating-disordered women, but because it is subclinical it is generally not treated. It remains stable throughout adulthood, and has proven resistant to many prevention interventions. This study presents a pilot test of a practical alternative: a 1-day Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) workshop targeting body dissatisfaction and disordered eating attitudes. Women with body dissatisfaction (N = 73) were randomly assigned to the workshop or to a wait list. Participants in both conditions also completed appetite awareness self monitoring of hunger and satiety. After a brief 2-week follow-up, wait-list participants were also offered the workshop. Eating attitudes, body anxiety, and preoccupation with eating, weight, and shape improved in both arms of the study following the workshop. Participants in the ACT group showed significant reductions in body-related anxiety and significant increases in acceptance when compared to the wait-list control condition. ACT presented as a brief workshop intervention may be applicable for a broad range of women experiencing disordered eating attitudes and distress related to eating and body image; however, larger studies with longer follow-ups are needed