Evaluating the effects of guided coaching calls on engagement and outcomes for online acceptance and commitment therapy
Abstract
Previous research indicates mixed results for guided support with online interventions. The current secondary analysis evaluated the effects of phone coaching from a dismantling trial of online acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) in a sample of 136 distressed college students randomized to one of three versions of an ACT website. Participants were randomized to receive email prompts alone (non-coaching condition) or email plus phone coaching (coaching condition). Results indicated no differences between the coaching and non-coaching conditions on program engagement, program satisfaction, mental health outcomes, and almost all psychological flexibility processes. However, participants in the coaching condition reported stronger pre- to posttreatment improvements in psychological inflexibility than the non-coaching condition. This effect was moderated by ACT component condition, with larger pre- to posttreatment effects from coaching on psychological inflexibility in the values/committed action condition and weaker improvements from coaching in the acceptance/defusion condition. Overall, results indicate online self-guided ACT interventions with email prompts are sufficient for addressing college student mental health and that phone coaching provided minimal additional benefit.
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The findings on ACT's effect on corona disease anxiety are consistent with the results of Levin et al. (18) and Haddadi et al. (3).
“Another part of the findings of this research that the acceptance and commitment therapy was effective in reducing corona disease anxiety of medical staff involved in COVID-19 care in Hamadan was consistent with the results of Levin et al. (18) and Haddadi et al. (3).”
From Effects of the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Resiliency, Self-Compassion, and Corona Disease Anxiety on Medical Staff Involved in COVID-19 Pandemic (2023) · cites this paper as Levin et al. (18)
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Self-citationفعالية برنامج إرشادي قائم على التقبل والالتزام لخفض الهزيمة النفسية لدى المراهقين المتلجلجين
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- Authors
- Levin, M. E., Krafft, J., Davis, C. H., & Twohig, M. P.
- Affiliations
- Utah State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Levin, Michael E.
- Venue
- Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2021-01-12
- Volume
- 50
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 395-408
- ISSN
- 1650-6073 (ISSN-L)
- 1651-2316
- OpenAlex
- W3120719797
- Cited by
- 21
- References
- 29
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 2
- FWCI
- 2.73
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Digital Commons - USU (Utah State University) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, and European Union funds (BFU2016-77728-C3-1-P)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Digital Mental Health Interventions
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Telemedicine and Telehealth Implementation
- Keywords
- acceptance and commitment therapy, online intervention, phone coaching, program engagement, psychological inflexibility, psychological flexibility, college student mental health, self-guided intervention
- MeSH terms
- Distance Counseling, Internet-Based Intervention, Female, Humans, Male, Mental Health, Students, Telephone, Electronic Mail, Young Adult, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
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