Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Eating Disorders

ACT is a psychotherapy aimed at helping people accept difficult thoughts and emotions while simultaneously making proactive, positive changes in their life.

What this tool is good for:

ACT has become a widely-recommended treatment option for many eating disorders, including bulimia nervosa (BN), binge eating disorder (BED), and anorexia nervosa (AN), thanks to its ability to promote psychological flexibility, acceptance, and the development of meaningful interests. Training is available for purchase. See Jurascio et al. (2013) for an example applicability for group-based treatments.

Validity and Reliability Papers

Juarascio, A., Shaw, J., Forman, E., Timko, C.A., Herbert, J., Butryn, M., Bunnell, D., Matteucci, A., Lowe, M. (2013). Acceptance and commitment therapy as a novel treatment for eating disorders: an initial test of efficacy and mediation. Behavior modification, 37(4):459–489

Orsillo, S. M., & Batten, S. V. (2002). ACT as treatment of a disorder of excessive control: Anorexia. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 9(3), 253–259. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1077-7229(02)80057-8

Hill, M.L., Masuda, A., Melcher, H., Morgan, J.R., Twohig, M.P. (2015). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Women Diagnosed With Binge Eating Disorder: A Case-Series Study. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 22(3), 367-378. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpra.2014.02.005

Fogelkvist, M., Gustafsson, S.A., Kjellin, L., and Parling, T. (2020) Acceptance and commitment therapy to reduce eating disorder symptoms and body image problems in patients with residual eating disorder symptoms: a randomized controlled trial. Body Image, 32, 155–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2020.01.002

Type of tool

Treatment

Specific gender

Non-specific

Age validated for use with

Children (6-12 years), Adolescents (13 - 17 years), Adults (18+ years)

Eating disorders

General

Evaluates

Self-acceptance, Readiness to recover, Cognitive flexibility

Delivery Setting

Structured therapy sessions

Specific Populations

Individuals diagnosed with Eating Disorders

Approximate administration time:

Variable