An internet-delivered acceptance and commitment therapy program for anxious affect, depression, and wellbeing: A randomized, parallel, two-group, waitlist-controlled trial in a Middle Eastern sample of college students.

Abstract

College students during the young adult years are at elevated risk for the development of anxiety and depressive difficulties. Moreover, a preliminary body of evidence suggests that, for those who reside in Middle Eastern contexts, despite an established need, sociocultural impediments prevent active psychological help-seeking. Internet-delivered, self-directed mental health programs may hold significant promise to alleviate these difficulties in contexts where individuals would otherwise not enlist the support of a mental health practitioner. The present study developed a bespoke, 4-module, internet-delivered program based upon acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) principles and tested its feasibility and efficacy within the context a randomized controlled trial. A total of 129 participants were randomized to receive either the ACT program or to a waitlist control condition. Assessments of generalized anxiety, social anxiety, depressive affect, and wellbeing were administered at baseline and at post-intervention. Analyses indicated that the intervention was efficacious in mitigating both generalized and social anxiety and in improving wellbeing. These results provide preliminary evidence of the feasibility and efficacy of internet-delivered ACT in a Middle Eastern context.