NCT05906849

Where We All Meet: ACT Approach to Adolescents Anxiety Disorders

Recruiting now NA Last updated 14 July 2023

What this trial tests

NA trial testing ACT for anxiety disorders in Social Anxiety Disorder in 87 participants. Currently enrolling.

Timeline

1 January 2023

Primary endpoint
30 June 2026

30 September 2026

Quick facts

Lead sponsor	University of Coimbra
Phase	NA
Status	Recruiting now
Study type	INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation	randomized
Design	parallel
Masking	single
Primary purpose	treatment
Enrollment	87
Start date	1 January 2023
Primary completion	30 June 2026
Estimated completion	30 September 2026
Sites	1 location across Portugal

Drugs / interventions tested

• ACT for anxiety disorders

Conditions studied

• Social Anxiety Disorder — all drugs for Social Anxiety Disorder →
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder — all drugs for Generalized Anxiety Disorder →

Sponsor

University of Coimbra

Who can join

Adults 14 to 18, any sex, with Social Anxiety Disorder or Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Patients with the condition only — healthy volunteers not accepted.

Sponsor's own description

Transdiagnostic approaches have been proposed as more truthfully representing mental health problems. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a transdiagnostic approach that proposes Psychological Inflexibility/Flexibility (PI/PF) as the root of human suffering/flourishing. ACT has been recognized as conceptually and clinically relevant for adult disorders. However, during adolescence, when anxiety disorders are highly prevalent, the same evidence is scarce. Specifically, methodologically robust designs investigating ACT's efficacy on adolescents' ADs are scarce and mechanisms underlying change during ACT for adolescents with ADs have not been investigated. Therefore, this study aims to adapt, implement, and investigate the efficacy of an online delivered (through videoconference) ACT intervention to adolescents presenting SAD or GAD, thus contributing to amplifying the transdiagnostic application of ACT to these disorders. A Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) with 3 groups (i.e., Control, GAD intervention, and SAD intervention groups) of adolescents aged between 14 and 18 years old will be conducted. Outcome measurement will be assessed at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and at 3- and 6-month follow-ups. The investigators expect improvements in outcome variables (e.g., anxiety symptoms) at post-treatment for intervention groups. When comparing changes in outcome variables between the control and the intervention groups, improvements are expected only in the groups receiving intervention. Additionally, similar effects on outcome measures are expected in both intervention groups with gains being maintained over time (i.e., at 3- and 6-months follow-up). Finally, changes in PI/PF processes are expected to predict changes in outcome variables in both intervention groups. This RCT will provide valuable insights that can potentially enhance the efficacy of treatment modalities, contributing to improved well-being for adolescents with ADs.

Publications & conference data

1 peer-reviewed publication reference this trial (live from Europe PMC):

1. Acceptance and commitment therapy as a transdiagnostic approach to adolescents with different anxiety disorders: study protocol.
   Figueiredo DV, Salvador MDC, Rijo D, Vagos P. · · 2025 · PMID 39542901 · DOI 10.1007/s00787-024-02608-2