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Three-Arm Quasi-Experimental Study of App-Assisted Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms
Sponsor: University of Central Punjab
Summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to compare the efficacy of three Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) delivery modalities in treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in adult patients (ages 20-40) with mild to moderate PTSD severity in Pakistan. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Do participants show significant reductions in psychological inflexibility, emotional dysregulation, and PTSD symptom severity from pre- to post-intervention? 2. Which ACT delivery modality - treatment as usual (TAU/clinic-only), clinician-guided with web-app assistance, or online-only with web-app assistance - produces the greatest improvements in these outcomes? Researchers will compare three groups: (A) TAU receiving clinic-based ACT sessions without app support, (B) clinic-based ACT sessions assisted by the "ACT PTSD" web application, and (C) fully online ACT delivery with web-app support - to determine whether digital augmentation enhances treatment outcomes beyond standard clinical delivery. Participants will: * Complete baseline assessments (PCL-5, AAQ-II, DERS-SF, PDEQ-SF) at intake * Attend 12 weekly individual ACT sessions (30-45 minutes each) covering psychoeducation, acceptance, cognitive defusion, self-as-context, grounding, values clarification, committed action, trauma processing, and relapse prevention * Use the "ACT PTSD" web application between sessions (Groups B and C), which delivers the six ACT core processes through guided exercises, audio tracks, symptom tracking, and therapist messaging * Complete post-intervention assessments and one follow-up session after the 12-week program
Official title: A Three-Arm Quasi-Experimental Study Comparing Treatment-as-Usual, Face-to-Face Acceptance and Commitment Therapy With App-Assisted Support, and Online Acceptance and Commitment Therapy With App-Assisted Support for PTSD Symptoms
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
20 Years - 40 Years
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
30
Start Date
2025-09-04
Completion Date
2026-05-10
Last Updated
2026-06-03
Healthy Volunteers
No
Conditions
Interventions
Acceptance Commitment Therapy
The ACT Path web application is a clinician-gated, ACT-based treatment-assistance tool developed specifically for adults with PTSD. Unlike self-administered apps, it operates within a therapist-controlled workflow: clients access 12 structured weekly sessions only after clinical approval, with session assignment (including flexible sequencing of trauma narrative work) guided by the therapist. All six ACT hexaflex processes are delivered via interactive sessions with embedded audio guidance and gamified defusion exercises. Built-in validated assessments (PCL-5, AAQ-II, DERS-SF, PDEQ-SF) auto-score and populate a therapist dashboard; a unique safety screen flags suicidal ideation and harm risk across three timeframes. A panic button provides crisis support. Cultural adaptation for a collectivistic, low-resource context distinguishes it from existing Western-developed PTSD apps.
Locations (1)
Lubna DAR
Lahore, Punjab Province, Pakistan