Efficacy of an early intervention based on acceptance and commitment therapy for adults with depressive symptomatology: Evaluation in a randomized controlled trial

Objective

The current study examined the efficacy of an early intervention based on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for depressive symptomatology. The ACT intervention is aimed at increasing the acceptance of negative thoughts and emotions and living a mindful and value-based life.

Method

Adults with mild to moderate depressive symptomatology were randomly assigned to the ACT intervention (n = 49) or to a waiting list (n = 44). The mean age of the participants was 49 years. The majority of the participants was female and of Dutch origin. All the participants completed measures before and after the intervention, as well as three months later at follow-up to assess depression (CES-D), anxiety (HADS-A), fatigue (CIS), alcohol use and acceptance (AAQ-II).

Results

The ACT intervention led to statistically significant reduction in depressive symptomatology (Cohen’s d = .60). These reductions were maintained at the three-month follow-up. Also significant reductions in anxiety and fatigue were observed. Moreover, mediational analysis showed that the improvement of acceptance during the intervention mediated the effects of the intervention on depressive symptomatology at follow-up.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that an early intervention based on ACT, aimed at increasing acceptance, is effective in reducing depressive symptomatology.     

Cognitive distortions and eating pathology: specificity of thought-shape fusion

Thought–shape fusion (TSF) is a cognitive distortion that has been linked with eating pathology; however, the specificity of this distortion to eating disorders has not yet been examined. The current study set out to investigate the effects of a TSF induction on susceptibility to TSF in three groups of women: individuals with an eating disorder (n = 33), individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD; n = 24), and control women with no history of either an eating disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder (n = 26). Participants were assigned to receive either a TSF induction or a neutral induction, and their cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses were assessed. As expected, the results demonstrated that individuals with eating disorders were more susceptible to TSF than were women with OCD and control participants, reporting higher state TSF, more negative affect, and more neutralization behavior. The results also supported the specificity of this distortion by demonstrating that individuals with OCD were not particularly susceptible to TSF. In fact, control participants demonstrated an increased susceptibility to TSF relative to women with OCD, as evidenced by their higher levels of trait TSF, and increased self-reported distress/difficulty in imagining a food-related situation.     

Retrieval of episodic versus generic information: does the order of recall affect the amount and accuracy of details reported by children about repeated events?

Children (N = 157) 4 to 8 years old participated 1 time (single) or 4 times (repeated) in an interactive event. Across each condition, half were questioned a week later about the only or a specific occurrence of the event (depth first) and then about what usually happens. Half were prompted in the reverse order (breadth first). Children with repeated experience who first were asked about what usually happens reported more event-related information overall than those asked about an occurrence first. All children used episodic language when describing an occurrence; however, children with repeated-event experience used episodic language less often when describing what usually happens than did those with a single experience. Accuracy rates did not differ between conditions. Implications for theories of repeated-event memory are discussed.     

A Comparison of Adult Witnesses' Suggestibility Across Various Types of Leading Questions

The current study directly compared witnesses' susceptibility to suggestion across various structures of misleading interview questions. We examined four question structures that varied on numerous dimensions; whether they narrowed the response option to yes or no, whether they included highly specific detail about the witnessed event and whether they presumed the information being suggested to be true. Susceptibility to misinformation was measured by witnesses' responses to the initial interview questions and their responses to subsequent recognition questions. Interview questions that narrowed the response option and contained specific details and questions that encouraged broader responses but presumed certain information were found to be the most harmful. Participants were more likely to agree with the misleading suggestions contained in these question structures—and more likely to falsely report those suggested details at subsequent interview—than misleading suggestions contained in other question structures. The implications are discussed. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The impact of cognitive interventions on cognitive symptoms in idiopathic Parkinson’s disease: a systematic review

This systematic review addressed efficacy of cognitive stimulation (CS), cognitive training (CT), and cognitive rehabilitation (CR) to improve cognitive functions in Parkinson’s disease (PD) with (PD-MCI) and without mild cognitive impairment (PD-H). Five databases were searched. Twelve CT, four CS, and a combination of CT with CR were found. PD-H benefited from CT or CS compared to active or passive controls in 42.1% of cognitive tests, and in 33.3% of psychological and functional measures. PD-MCI alone, compared with controls, only improved in 6.9% of cognitive measures after CT. PD-H and PD-MCI, alone or together, somehow improved information processing speed, attention, working memory, executive functions, and visual episodic memory. PD-MCI improved better than PD-H in global cognition and planning abilities. The outcomes suggest some efficacy of cognitive interventions in PD. However, small samples, lack of information regarding standardization of interventions, and poor methodological quality limit results validity and prevent firm conclusions.