Web-Based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Mental Health Problems in College Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
A free, self-guided ACT website can lower college students’ anxiety, depression, and school stress without any therapist time.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Morrison et al. (2017) built a free, web-based ACT self-help program for college students. Students worked through six modules on their own phones or laptops.
The team randomly split students into two groups. One group used the program right away. The other group waited eight weeks before starting.
What they found
Students who used the program felt less distress, anxiety, and depression. They also worried less about schoolwork.
The program did not help with eating or drinking problems. Benefits were moderate, not huge, but showed up without any therapist contact.
How this fits with other research
Krafft et al. (2019) tested a fancy ACT phone app. Help-seeking adults gained a little, but students gained nothing. The simple web program in Morrison et al. (2017) worked better for students than the complex app.
Paliliunas et al. (2018) gave graduate students a short ACT values course. Both studies found small academic gains, showing ACT can boost school outcomes across degree levels.
Danitz et al. (2014) ran a single 90-minute acceptance workshop for first-years. One live session helped, yet the web program gave bigger mood gains. The newer study extends the dose from minutes to weeks.
Why it matters
You can hand a client a link, not a wait-list. The program is free, needs no staff time, and still cuts anxiety and depression. Try it as a low-cost step before adding live sessions. Track mood and academic worry weekly to see if the tool is enough or if you need to layer in coach support.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
There are significant challenges in addressing the mental health needs of college students. The current study tested an acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), web-based self-help program to treat a broad range of psychological problems students struggle with. A sample of 79 college students was randomized to web-based ACT or a waitlist condition, with assessments at baseline and posttreatment. Results indicated adequate acceptability and program engagement for the ACT website. Relative to waitlist, participants receiving ACT improved on overall distress, general anxiety, social anxiety, depression, academic concerns, and positive mental health. There were no between-group effects on eating concerns, alcohol use, or hostility, or on some key ACT process of change measures. ACT participants improved more on mindful acceptance and obstruction to valued living, both of which mediated treatment outcomes. Results are discussed in the context of lessons learned with the website prototype, and areas for further research are presented.
Behavior modification, 2017 · doi:10.1177/0145445516659645