Gender differences in response to acceptance and commitment therapy among operation enduring Freedom/Operation iraqi Freedom/Operation new Dawn veterans
Abstract
Background Most of our knowledge base regarding treatment response among veterans comes from predominantly male samples. Evidence suggests, however, that women and men use different coping strategies, which may impact how effective treatments are for people of different genders. The purpose of this investigation was to examine gender differences in response to acceptance and commitment therapy, an empirically supported transdiagnostic psychotherapy.Methods Data were drawn from a multisite, randomized, controlled trial of acceptance and commitment therapy as compared with a psychotherapy control, namely, present-centered therapy (PCT), in veterans with emotional distress who served in Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, or New Dawn (OEF/OIF/OND). Although the original trial did not find a difference between acceptance and commitment therapy and present-centered therapy, we were interested in examining whether gender differences may have been obscured in the original analyses. This secondary analysis included 117 participants for whom at least one post-baseline data point was available and examined the role of gender in treatment response.Results Gender differences were not observed on the primary outcome of general distress, but were observed in post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms (p < .01).Conclusions These preliminary results suggest the possibility of gender differences in psychotherapy response and should motivate additional study of gender-specific care.
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ACT significantly reduced PTSD symptoms in parents of children with life-threatening illnesses, combat veterans, and traumatized adults.
“It has been reported that ACT significantly reduced PTSD symptoms in parents of children with life-threatening illnesses (Muscara et al., 2020), combat veterans (Dindo et al., 2020; Gobin et al., 2019), and traumatized adults (Boals and Murrell, 2016).”
From Efficacy and mechanisms of mobile application-delivered Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder in China: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial (2022) · cites this paper as Gobin et al., 2019
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- Authors
- Gobin, R. L., Strauss, J. L., Golshan, S., Allard, C. B., Bomyea, J., Schnurr, P. P., & Lang, A. J.
- Affiliations
- VA San Diego Healthcare System (US)
- United States Department of Veterans Affairs (US)
- University of California San Diego (US)
- Alliant University (US)
- Dartmouth College (US)
- Corresponding author
- Gobin, Robyn L.
- Venue
- Women s Health Issues
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2019-05
- Volume
- 29
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 267-273
- ISSN
- 1049-3867 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2942870077
- Cited by
- 16
- References
- 66
- Citations by year
- 2025: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 2
- FWCI
- 1.46
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Women s Health Issues (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
- Keywords
- acceptance and commitment therapy, gender differences, treatment response, post-traumatic stress disorder, Operation Enduring Freedom, Iraq War, Operation New Dawn, military veterans, emotional distress, present-centered therapy, gender-specific care, coping strategies
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Psychological, Adult, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Sex Factors, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, United States, Veterans, Treatment Outcome, Iraq War, 2003-2011, Afghan Campaign 2001-, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
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