Mindfulness and acceptance-based behavioral therapies

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of the use of acceptance-based behavioral therapies (ABBTs) to treat anxiety disorders, beginning with a brief review of disorder-specific clinically relevant outcome data. It then describes treatment with an emphasis on the underlying conceptual model to allow for flexible application of a range of intervention strategies. Although a host of case studies and open trials provide promising evidence for the effectiveness of mindfulness- and acceptance-based behavioral therapies for anxiety disorders, research involving randomized controlled trials (RCTs) is in its early stages. A recent trial indicates comparable effects for acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in a sample of clients who met criteria for principal panic disorder, social anxiety disorder (SAD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). No RCTs have been published examining the efficacy of ABBTs for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).