Clinical Research Directory

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Depressed People With Spinal Cord Injuries

Sponsor: University of South Florida

Summary

Living with spinal cord injury (SCI) can have a significant negative impact on an individual's mental health and restrict participation in personally valued activities and roles. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is an evidence-based approach that can lessen symptoms of mental health disorders (e.g., depressive symptoms) and improve quality of life through mindfulness and acceptance processes and behavior change processes for valued living. Evidence for ACT for individuals living with SCI, however, is limited to a very few studies that involved in-person group-based ACT and did not focus on depressed individuals with SCI. The primary goal of this study is to evaluate the effects of an 8-week videoconferencing ACT program on improving mental health outcomes in depressed individuals living with SCI. The primary hypotheses are that the ACT group will show improvements in depressive symptoms at posttest and 2-month follow-up compared to the wait-list control group. Investigators will invite 120 individuals living with SCI and reporting depressive symptoms and randomly assign them to either the ACT group or the wait-list control group. The ACT group will receive eight weekly individual ACT sessions guided by a coach through videoconferencing with a booster session at 1-month follow-up. The wait-list control group will continue his or her own care as usual during the study period and have the option to receive eight individual ACT sessions after study participation ends. Data will be collected at pretest, posttest, and 2-month follow-up and compared between the ACT group and the control group over time. About 40% of individuals living with SCI report depressive symptoms and other mental health symptoms, and mental health disorders following SCI are associated with negative long-term outcomes. Managing uncomfortable or painful thoughts and emotions arising from functional limitations and accepting changed lives while moving forward for valued living through ACT skill practice will help individuals with SCI alleviate symptoms of mental health conditions, promote engagement in personally valued activities, and improve quality of life.

Official title: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Depressed People With Spinal Cord Injuries: Testing Efficacy and Mechanisms of Change

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