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| International Symposium - Applications of Acceptance & Commitment Therapy with Children and Adolescents |
| Monday, May 29, 2006 |
| 3:00 PM–4:20 PM |
| Kennesaw |
| Area: CBM; Domain: Service Delivery |
| Chair: John Tanner Blackledge (University of Wollongong) |
| Discussant: Laurie A. Greco (Vanderbilt Children's Hospital) |
| Abstract: Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) has been successfully applied to a variety of adult populations, but empirical outcome research applying ACT to child and adolescent populations has just begun. This symposium will highlight the results of three separate international 'ACT with Kids' projects just recently completed. |
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| Acceptance & Commitment Training with a Normal Sample of Eighth Grade Students. |
| JOHN TANNER BLACKLEDGE (University of Wollongong), Joseph Ciarocchi (University of Wollongong), Linda Billich (University of Wollongong) |
| Abstract: This presentation will detail the pre-post results of a five session ACT Training intervention with a sample of normal eighth grade students. To allow a more intensive focus, this intervention specifically targets social values (i.e., family, friendship, and couples relationships), though does not discourage applications of ACT-based strategies to other typical ACT values domains. Pre-post scores from the intervention group on a number of outcome measures focused general psychological functioning, and ACT-specific process and adherence measures, are compared to pre-post scores from a wait-list control group. |
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| ACT for Adolescents with Chronic Health Conditions: Feasibility and Pilot Data from an Uncontrolled Clinical Trial. |
| SARAH DEW (Vanderbilt University), Laurie A. Greco (Vanderbilt Children's Hospital), Kerstin Bloomquist (Vanderbilt University), Jocelyn Smith Carter (Vanderbilt University), Shelly Ball (Vanderbilt University), Lynette Dufton (Vanderbilt University), Sarah E. Williams (Vanderbilt University) |
| Abstract: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT; Hayes, Strosahl, & Wilson, 1999) is an innovative and empirically grounded behavioral intervention that is ideal for treating patients with chronic health issues, such as chronic or recurring pain. Consistent with contemporary models of pain (e.g., McCracken & Eccleston, 2003), ACT conceptualizes low levels of psychological acceptance as a key contributor to symptom maintenance, associated disability, and unnecessary personal suffering. The purpose of our paper is to describe the ACT for Teens Program and to present initial findings on our ACT protocol developed specifically for adolescents with functional abdominal pain, a chronic and often disabling condition that cannot be treated effectively with medical interventions alone. We will present preliminary data on the feasibility and impact of the ACT for Teens Program and discuss directions for future clinical research. Many cognitive-behavioral interventions for youth continue to adopt eliminative agendas that focus narrowly on symptom reduction, with little or no emphasis on constructing flexible and functional repertoires that are consistent with personally chosen values and life goals. Our work attempts to fill important empirical and clinical gaps in the literature that are relevant to both third-wave behavior therapies and child and adolescent health psychology. |
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| Improving Chess-players Performance with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). |
| FRANCISCO JOSE RUIZ-JIMENEZ (University of Almería, Spain), Carmen Luciano Soriano (University of Almería, Spain) |
| Abstract: Chess-players performance is decreased for some psychological barriers. Some of these barriers are functionally equivalents and comprehensible from the experiential avoidance perspective (Luciano & Hayes). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (Hayes et al., 1999; Wilson & Luciano, 2002) is an intervention focused in the rupture of this functional class which limits clinical subject’s life and which could be involved in the low sport performance (Gardner & Moore, 2004). This paper presents data of an ACT intervention of four hours with young chess-players (age: 14-20). During this collective intervention the barriers they evaluated like the most important for them were treated. Results of the last four years of these subjects were collected and they constitute a broad baseline for everyone. The preliminaries results shows an improvement of the group in an experimental task (play chess with a computer) and they also improved their results in international tournaments. We also present another study with six young chess-players (age: 22-24). In this case the intervention was individual and the preliminary results shows significantly improve of their performance in four of them. The results shows positive data of the extension of ACT for the improvement of sport and intellectual performance. |
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