Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Transitional Aged Youth; Differential Effects on DSM-5 Problem Areas

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the newly developed ACT your way intervention in treating mental health issues among Transitional Aged Youth (TAY), aged 15-25 years, compared to treatment as usual (TAU). Despite the pronounced need for mental health support in this demographic, TAY are often underserved. The research questions focused on whether the treatment outcomes of ACT your way varied across different types of psychopathology and whether ACT your way was as effective as TAU. It was hypothesized that ACT your way would be particularly effective for anxiety and affective problems and would show greater effectiveness to TAU. The study analyzed data from 64 TAY, with measures taken at pre- and post-treatment. Results from the repeated measures ANOVAs and logistic regressions on statistical and clinical significance indicated that according to self-reports from TAY, ACT your way demonstrated similar effectiveness across all DSM-5 problem areas except two, suggesting its potential for addressing transdiagnostic issues. However, parental reports indicated significant improvements only in anxiety problems, with no notable changes observed for other problem areas. Moreover, no significant differences were found between the pre-post effect measures of ACT your way and TAU, as reported by both TAY and their parents. In conclusion, while ACT your way shows promise as an effective intervention for addressing specific psychological problems among TAY, it does not appear to outperform TAU. These findings underscore the importance of further research to explore the comparative effectiveness of different treatment approaches for this vulnerable population.