The efficacy of a compassion, acceptance and mindfulness-based pilot intervention for adolescents’ test anxiety: a case study using the academic program

Test anxiety (TA) is one of the most common difficulties for secondary school students, with a negative impact in performance, mental health and well-being, and involving high levels of shame, self-criticism, and experiential avoidance. TA may also be conceptualized through an evolutionary and contextual approach to human suffering. To the best of our knowledge, no study has covered this conceptualization, nor has any previous TA treatment been simultaneously manualized, psychotherapeutic, and co-integrated compassion, acceptance and mindfulness-based practices. Moreover, studies on the efficacy of individual treatments directed to TA in adolescents are scarce, and case studies provide a comprehensive, detailed, and useful input about new models and treatments to both researchers and practitioners. The AcAdeMiC Program (Acting with Acceptance, Mindfulness and Compassion to overcome Test/Exam Anxiety) is a manualized 12-session online individual psychotherapeutic intervention, aiming to decrease test anxiety and boost well-being, compassion, acceptance and mindfulness. This is the first study presenting the treatment of an adolescent with high levels of test anxiety using this program. The Reliable Change Index (RCI) showed improvement, and maintenance or increase of gains over time, across all targeted symptoms and processes. The AcAdeMiC was also qualitatively and quantitatively perceived as useful and effective at posttreatment. This clinical case study provides a first glance at the conceptualization and treatment of TA with the new AcAdeMiC program