Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Autistic Adults: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study in a Psychiatric Outpatient Setting

Autor/inn/en	Pahnke, Johan; Jansson-Fröjmark, Markus; Andersson, Gerhard; Bjureberg, Johan; Jokinen, Jussi; Bohman, Benjamin; Lundgren, Tobias
Titel	Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Autistic Adults: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study in a Psychiatric Outpatient Setting
Quelle	In: Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice, 27 (2023) 5, S.1461-1476 (16 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Pahnke, Johan)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1362-3613
DOI	10.1177/13623613221140749
Schlagwörter	Adults; Autism Spectrum Disorders; Clinics; Psychiatry; Therapy; Mental Disorders; At Risk Persons; Mental Health; Intervention; Counseling Effectiveness; Stress Management; Quality of Life; Symptoms (Individual Disorders); Depression (Psychology); Anxiety; Sleep; Interpersonal Relationship; Executive Function; Life Satisfaction; Foreign Countries; Sweden; Satisfaction With Life Scale; Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale; Beck Depression Inventory; Beck Anxiety Inventory + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Autism; Autismus; Psychiatrie; Therapie; Mental illness; Geisteskrankheit; Risikogruppe; Psychohygiene; Stressmanagement; Stressbewältigung; Lebensqualität; Psychiatrische Symptomatik; Angst; Schlaf; Interpersonal relation; Interpersonal relations; Interpersonelle Beziehung; Zwischenmenschliche Beziehung; Lebensvollendung; Ausland; Schweden
Abstract	Autistic adults are at risk of stress-related psychiatric disorders and reduced life quality due to social, cognitive, and perceptual challenges. Mental health interventions adapted to autistic adults are scarce. Acceptance and commitment therapy has preliminarily indicated health benefits in autistic adults, although it has not been robustly evaluated. Overall, 39 adults (21 males; 21-72 years) with autism spectrum disorder and normal intellectual ability (IQ M = 108.5; SD = 13.5) were randomized to 14 weeks of adapted acceptance and commitment therapy group treatment (NeuroACT) or treatment as usual. The intervention was feasible. Perceived stress and quality of life (primary outcomes), alongside psychological inflexibility, cognitive fusion, cognitive and behavioral avoidance, and autistic mannerism were statistically significantly improved in NeuroACT compared with treatment as usual (d = 0.70-0.90). Clinically significant changes in perceived stress and quality of life were in favor of NeuroACT. Between-group altered depression, anxiety, sleep problems, one quality of life measure, functional impairment, social aspects of autism, and executive difficulties were statistically non-significant. Dropout was slightly higher in NeuroACT. NeuroACT may be a promising treatment for autistic adults with co-existing stress and reduced quality of life. More extensive studies are warranted to evaluate NeuroACT further. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01