A doctoral thesis at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden studied how the commitment and acceptance therapy (ACT) can be exploited for people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The results showed that the treatment can be done both in the school setting and in the outpatient psychiatric setting and can have an effect, among other things, on perceived stress.
In his doctoral thesis, Dr. Pahnke analyzed the usefulness and effectiveness of a psychological treatment model called commitment acceptance therapy to reduce emotional distress in individuals with autism.
Acceptance and commitment therapy: this is what it consists of
Autism is prevalent in nearly two percent of the population. Difficulties in social interaction, adaptation to new situations and hypersensitivity mean that individuals diagnosed with autism are more prone to suffer from specific psychiatric stress and symptoms to a greater extent than normotypic individuals.
“As treatments that work and adapt to individuals with autism are rare, there is a great need for new treatment models“, he has declared Johan Pahnkea psychologist who recently earned his doctorate from the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet.
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a further development of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and has previously been shown to be effective, for example, in reducing stress. Dr. Pahnke’s thesis developed an ACT-based group treatment program adapted for teens and adults with autism called NeuroACT which Johan Pahnke himself developed.
The treatment program consists of weekly group sessions lasting 150 minutes, with 12-14 sessions. Each session follows a similar setup with a short awareness or acceptance exercise, followed by a homework review, an introduction to the session’s topic, new homework, and a group meeting assessment.
The thesis investigated how acceptance and engagement therapy treatment worked in AD group for students with autism. Twenty-eight students between the ages of 13 and 21 received ACT treatment or regular education. Dr Pahnke’s program worked well when implemented in a school setting.
Students who completed the program experienced, among other things, a reduction in stress, depression and anger compared to the control group. However, the treatment did not affect the students’ anxiety and some other problems.
The thesis also looked at the treatment for adults with autism on an outpatient psychiatric setting. One study included ten people and the other 39. The results showed that most of the participants who went through the entire treatment were satisfied. Additionally, those who received the treatment experienced improvements in stress and various mental health measures. However, for some issues, no differences were found.
“Acceptance and commitment therapy adapted to autism appears to be able to reduce stress and improve well-being in adolescents and adults with autism. Treatment also appears to help participants overcome some key autistic difficulties. However, more research is needed to evaluate the effect of ACT in individuals with autism“Says Johan Pahnke.
Johan Pahnke discussed his thesis “Acceptance and commitment therapy for autism spectrum disorder: evaluation of the feasibility, efficacy and validity of a new contextual behavioral treatment “ at the Karolinska Institutet.
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT therapy) is a type of mindful psychotherapy that helps you stay focused in the present moment and accept thoughts and feelings without judgment.
Its purpose is to help you move forward despite difficult emotions so that you can devote the energy to healing instead of dwelling on the negative side of the circumstances.. With the help of a specialized professional, a collection of coping mechanisms specifically designed for each patient’s situation will be made, which they can use throughout their life to manage difficult experiences.
Acceptance and commitment therapy works by focusing on accepting life experiences as they come, without evaluating or trying to change them. It is a skill developed through mindfulness exercises that encourage the patient to build a new and more compassionate relationship with difficult experiences. In this way the patient can free himself from obsessive negative thinking so that he can have peace of mind and healing.
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