Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

  • Reference work entry
  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Geropsychology

Synonyms

ACT; Contextual therapy; Third generation of behavioral therapies; Third wave of behavioral therapies

Definition

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a behavioral experiential psychotherapy which “reformulates and synthesizes previous generations of behavioral and cognitive therapy and carries them forward into questions, issues, and domains previously addressed primarily by other traditions, in hopes of improving both understanding and outcomes” (Hayes 2004). ACT takes a transdiagnostic and functional approach to psychological problems: it is the function of behavior that matters, not its shape. Consequently, different clinical diagnoses are, in essence, more similar than one would think from looking at their names in the DSM-V, as they involve dysfunction in the same dimensions. In this regard, many anxiety, depressive, or addictive disorders, among others, have in common that they involve experiential avoidance and cognitive fusion. These processes will be defined...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 1,699.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 1,799.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Alonso, M., López, A., Losada, A., & González, J. L. (2013). Acceptance and commitment therapy and selective optimization with compensation for older people with chronic pain. Behavioral Psychology, 21, 59–79.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baltes, P. B., & Baltes, M. M. (1990). Psychological perspectives on successful aging: The model of selective optimization with compensation. In P. B. Baltes & M. M. Baltes (Eds.), Successful aging: Perspectives from the behavioral sciences (pp. 1–34). New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Campbell-Sills, L., Barlow, B. H., Brown, T. A., & Hofmann, S. G. (2006). Effects of suppression and acceptance on emotional responses of individuals with anxiety and mood disorders. Behavior Research and Therapy, 44, 1251–1263.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carstensen, L. L., Isaacowitz, D. M., & Charles, S. T. (1999). Taking time seriously. A theory of socioemotional selectivity. American Psychologist, 54, 165–181.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Erikson, E. H. (1950). Childhood and society. New York: W.W. Norton.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gatz, M. (1997). Commentary on evidence-based psychological treatments for older adults. Psychology and Aging, 22, 52–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gooding, P. A., Hurst, A., Johnson, J., & Tarrier, N. (2012). Psychological resilience in young and older adults. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 27, 262–270.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hayes, S. (2004). Acceptance and commitment therapy, relational frame theory, and the third wave of behavioral and cognitive therapies. Behavior Therapy, 35, 639–665.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hayes, S. C., Wilson, K. G., Gifford, E. V., Follette, V. M., & Strosahl, K. (1996). Experimental avoidance and behavioral disorders: A functional dimensional approach to diagnosis and treatment. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64, 1152–1168.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hayes, S. C., Strosahl, K. D., & Wilson, K. G. (1999). Acceptance and commitment therapy: An experiential approach to behaviour change. New York: Guilford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hayes, S. C., Strosahl, K., & Wilson, K. G. (2011). Acceptance and commitment therapy: The process and practice of mindful change (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heckhausen, J., Wrosch, C., & Schulz, R. (2010). A motivational theory of life-span development. Psychological Review, 117, 32–60.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Hooper, N. & McHugh. (2013). The effect of multiple thought suppression indulgence cycles on thought occurrence. American Journal of Psychology, 126, 315–322.

    Google Scholar 

  • James, J. B., & Zarrett, N. (2006). Ego Integrity in the lives of older women. Journal of Adult Development, 13, 61–75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karlin, B. E., Walser, R. D., Yesavage, J., Zhang, A., Trockel, M., & Taylor, C. B. (2013). Effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy for depression: Comparison among older and younger veterans. Aging & Mental Health, 17, 555–563.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Losada, A., Márquez-González, M., Romero-Moreno, R., Mausbach, B. T., López, J., Fernández-Fernández, V., Nogales-González, C. (2015). Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) versus Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for dementia family caregivers with significant depressive symptoms: results of a randomized clinical trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 83,760–772.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lunde, L. H., & Nordhus, I. H. (2009). Combining acceptance and commitment therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy for the treatment of chronic pain in older adults. Clinical Case Studies, 8, 296–308.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Márquez-González, M., Romero-Moreno, R., & Losada, A. (2010). Caregiving issues in a therapeutic context: New insights from the acceptance and commitment therapy approach. In N.A. Pachana, K. Laidlaw, & B. Knight (Eds.), Casebook of clinical geropsychology: International perspectives on practice (pp. 33–53). New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCracken, L. M., & Jones, R. (2012). Treatment for chronic pain for adults in the seventh and eighth decades of life: A preliminary study of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Pain Medicine, 13, 860–867.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McCracken, L. M., Sato, A., & Taylor, G. J. (2013). A trial of a brief group-based form of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for chronic pain in general practice: Pilot outcome and process results. The Journal of Pain, 14, 1398–1406.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Morone, N. E., Greco, C. M., & Weiner, D. K. (2008). Mindfulness meditation for the treatment of chronic low back pain in older adults: A randomized controlled pilot study. Pain, 134, 310–319.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Petkus, A. J., & Wetherell, J. L. (2013). Acceptance and commitment therapy with older adults: Rationale and considerations. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 20, 47–56.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Reed, A. E., & Carstensen, L. L. (2014). The theory behind the age-related positivity effect. Frontiers in Psychology, 27(333), 339.

    Google Scholar 

  • Satre, D. D., Knight, B. G., & David, S. (2006). Cognitive behavioral interventions with older adults: Integrating clinical and gerontological research. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 37, 489–498.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scheibe, S., & Carstensen, L. L. (2010). Emotional aging: Recent findings and future trends. Journals of Gerontology. Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 65, 135–144.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sheldon, K. M., & Kasser, T. (2001). Getting older, getting better? Personal strivings and psychological maturity across the life span. Developmental Psychology, 37, 491–501.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Snyder K., Lambert J., & Twohig M. P. (2011) Defusion: a behavior-analytic strategy for addressing private events. Behavioral Analysis in Practice, 4, 4–13.

    Google Scholar 

  • Titchener, E. B. (1916). A text-book of psychology. MacMillan, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tornstam, L. (1989). Gero-transcendence; A meta-theoretical reformulation of the disengagement theory. Aging Clinical and Experimental Research, 1, 55–63.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Webster, J. D., Westerhof, G. J., & Bohlmeijer, E. T. (2014). Wisdom and mental health across the lifespan. Journals of Gerontology. Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 69, 209–218.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wetherell, J. L., Afari, N., Ayers, C. R., Stoddard, J. A., Ruberg, J., Sorrell, J. T., Liu, L., Petkus, A. J., Thorp, S. R., Kraft, A., & Patterson, T. L. (2011). Acceptance and commitment therapy for generalized anxiety disorder in older adults: A preliminary report. Behaviour Therapy, 42, 127–134.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wetherell, J. L., Petkus, A. J., Alonso-Fernandez, M., Bower, E. S., Steiner, A. R. W., & Afari, N. (in press). Acceptance and commitment therapy for older adults with chronic pain. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wrosch, C., Dunne, E., Scheier, M. F., & Schulz, R. (2006). Self-regulation of common age-related challenges: Benefits for older adults’ psychological and physical health. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 29, 299–306.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departament of Biological and Health Psychology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    María Márquez-González

  2. Department of Psychology, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain

    Andrés Losada Baltar

Authors
  1. María Márquez-González
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Andrés Losada Baltar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to María Márquez-González .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

    Nancy A. Pachana

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 Springer Science+Business Media Singapore

About this entry

Cite this entry

Márquez-González, M., Baltar, A.L. (2017). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. In: Pachana, N.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geropsychology. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-082-7_97

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation