A Review of Research on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Anxiety and Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders

Abstract

This article reviews acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), trichotillomania, excoriation disorder, hoarding, and body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). Measurement of psychological inflexibility and its relationship to pathology is reviewed. Outcome work in all disorders listed is reviewed with results supporting ACT for anxiety disorders, OCD, and trichotillomania, but there is limited evidence for excoriation disorder, hoarding, and BDD. Future research should focus on processes of change in addition to outcomes.

Keywords: Acceptance and commitment therapy; Anxiety; Obsessive compulsive disorder; Psychological flexibility; Trichotillomania.