Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in Group Format for College Students

Abstract

We randomly assigned 71 student participants to an acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) group training or to a wait list. All participants completed measures at preintervention, 1‐month postintervention, and 2‐month follow‐up. Students receiving ACT exhibited significantly reduced levels of general psychological distress and negative emotional symptoms at follow‐up. Mental health outcomes for ACT were mediated by increases in psychological flexibility and mindfulness. Results suggest that ACT group training could be an effective mental health intervention in educational settings.