The effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on interpersonal sensitivity and psychological flexibility in students with social anxiety: A randomized clinical trial

Abstract

Introduction: Patients with social anxiety suffer from interpersonal sensitivity and experiential avoidance. One of the most recent treatments applied for anxiety disorders is acceptance and commitment therapy. Aim: The purpose of the current research was to evaluate the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy on interpersonal sensitivity and cognitive flexibility in students with social anxiety. Method: In this quasi-experimental clinical trial, 24 students from Kermanshah university of medical sciences (2018) who suffered from social anxiety were randomly assigned to control and experimental groups after the primary assessments. Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN), Interpersonal Sensitivity Measure (IPSM), and Acceptance and Action in Social Anxiety Questionnaire (AAQ-II), were applied in three stages. The data were analyzed using SPSS-22, and univariate and multivariate analysis of covariance. Results: Acceptance and commitment therapy could significantly reduce social anxiety (0.42), and the total score of interpersonal sensitivity and its sub-components (0-49-91), while increasing the psychological flexibility (0.43) during the post-test assessments. The results were also maintained in the follow-up phase (P<0.05). Conclusion: ACT as a third wave treatment, can be an effective intervention to reduce the symptoms of social anxiety disorder and interpersonal sensitivity and enhance the cognitive flexibility in students with social anxiety.