0000000000265287
AUTHOR
Essi Sairanen
The effectiveness and applicability of different lifestyle interventions for enhancing wellbeing : the study design for a randomized controlled trial for persons with metabolic syndrome risk factors and psychological distress
Background: Obesity and stress are among the most common lifestyle-related health problems. Most of the current disease prevention and management models are not satisfactorily cost-effective and hardly reach those who need them the most. Therefore, novel evidence-based controlled interventions are necessary to evaluate models for prevention and treatment based on self-management. This randomized controlled trial examines the effectiveness, applicability, and acceptability of different lifestyle interventions with individuals having symptoms of metabolic syndrome and psychological distress. The offered interventions are based on cognitive behavioral approaches, and are designed for enhancing…
Supporting parents of children with chronic conditions: A randomized controlled trial of web-based and self-help ACT interventions
Objective Many parents of children with chronic conditions and developmental disabilities experience high rates of burnout and psychological distress. The aim of the current study was to examine the effects of two differently delivered interventions based on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on symptoms of burnout, depression, quality of life, psychological flexibility, and mindfulness skills. Method A total of 110 parents of children aged 0.8 to 17 years with chronic conditions and developmental disabilities participated in a randomized controlled trial lasting 13 weeks with two intervention groups: (1) an iACT intervention, including three psychologist-led video conferencing session…
Perceptions, motives, and psychological flexibility associated with weight management
Introduction: Overweight people are often able to lose weight with the help of professionals, but majority (about 85 %) of the weight losers fail to maintain behavioral changes that would lead to favorable results in the long term [1‐3]. Studies suggest that obesity treatment failures may reflect motivational and contextual impediments to weight loss, rather than limitations of the behavior change strategies per se [4, 5]. A stronger emphasis on motivational factors within a behavioral weight maintenance program offers promise for improving long-term outcomes. The motivation-focused approach has been shown to be as effective as the successful standard skill-based method in weight maintenanc…
High perceived stress is associated with unfavorable eating behavior in overweight and obese Finns of working age
Stress-related eating may be a potential factor in the obesity epidemic. Rather little is known about how stress associates with eating behavior and food intake in overweight individuals in a free-living situation. Thus, the present study aims to investigate this question in psychologically distressed overweight and obese working-aged Finns. The study is a cross-sectional baseline analysis of a randomized controlled trial. Of the 339 study participants, those with all the needed data available (n = 297, 84% females) were included. The mean age was 48.9 y (SD = 7.6) and mean body mass index 31.3 kg/m(2) (SD = 3.0). Perceived stress and eating behavior were assessed by self-reported questionn…
Effects of an Online Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Intervention on Children’s Quality of Life
AbstractThe present study examined if an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)–based online intervention for parents had indirect effects on their children’s quality of life mediated by changes in parental well-being, psychological flexibility and mindfulness skills. Participants were 74 adults, who either received an ACT-based guided online intervention or were allocated to the wait list control group, and their children (n = 66) who had type 1 diabetes or functional disabilities. Structural equation modeling (SEM) and a bias-corrected bootstrap approach were applied to examine the indirect effects of the treatment on children’s quality of life through changes in parents’ well-being and …
Behavioral and psychological flexibility in eating regulation among overweight adults
Weight-loss programs are often based on self-control techniques and they commonly fail in long-term weight management. Identifying psychological processes that explain eating behaviors can help to develop more effective interventions for long-term weight management. This research examined how behavioral and psychological flexibility are related to eating regulation and weight management in overweight adults. The first goal was to study the effects of flexible vs. rigid restraint of eating on weight-loss maintenance and well-being. The second goal was to examine whether psychological flexibility and mindfulness, independently and together, explain intuitive eating regulation. The third goal …
Explanations, motives and psychological flexibility associated in weight control among Finnish obese persons
Painonpudotukseen johtavien pysyvien käyttäytymismuutosten tekeminen on osoittautunut hyvin vaikeaksi, minkä vuoksi paino useimmiten nousee painonpudotuksen jälkeen. Tämän ilmiön paremmaksi ymmärtämiseksi tutkimuksemme tarkoituksena oli selvittää ylipainoisten painonhallitsijoiden käsityksiä painoonsa vaikuttavista tekijöistä sekä painonhallintaan ja elämäntapamuutoksiin motivoivia tekijöitä painonpudotuksen jälkeisessä seurannassa. Lisäksi tutkittiin painonpudotusohjelman aikaisten ja sen jälkeisten painomuutosten sekä psykologisen joustavuuden yhteyksiä näihin painonhallitsijoiden käsityksiin ja motiiveihin. 49 ylipainoista painonpudotusohjelmassa mukana ollutta henkilöä osallistui noin 8…
Additional file 1: of The effects of acceptance and commitment therapy on eating behavior and diet delivered through face-to-face contact and a mobile app: a randomized controlled trial
Table S1. The effects of ACT-based Face-to-face and Mobile interventions on diet quality. (PDF 26Â kb)
Mediators of change in online acceptance and commitment therapy for psychological symptoms of parents of children with chronic conditions : An investigation of change processes
Highlights: Parents of children with chronic conditions can benefit from an ACT web intervention. Cognitive defusion and acting with awareness mediated effects on psychological symptoms. General psychological flexibility did not mediate effects on outcomes. Improving mindfulness skills aid in optimizing treatment effects in online interventions. peerReviewed
Sleep-time physiological recovery is associated with eating habits in distressed working-age Finns with overweight: secondary analysis of a randomised controlled trial
Background Association of physiological recovery with nutrition has scarcely been studied. We investigated whether physiological recovery during sleep relates to eating habits, i.e., eating behaviour and diet quality. Methods Cross-sectional baseline analysis of psychologically distressed adults with overweight (N = 252) participating in a lifestyle intervention study in three Finnish cities. Recovery measures were based on sleep-time heart rate variability (HRV) measured for 3 consecutive nights. Measures derived from HRV were 1) RMSSD (Root Mean Square of the Successive Differences) indicating the parasympathetic activation of the autonomic nervous system and 2) Stress Balance (SB) indica…
Flexibility in weight management.
The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationships between changes in flexible vs. rigid restraints of eating during weight management, as well as how changes in the cognitive restraint of eating were related to psychological well-being and flexibility. The data includes information on 49 overweight persons who participated in a weight loss and maintenance (WLM) intervention and a follow-up assessment after 8-9 months. An increase in flexible cognitive restraint during the weight loss intervention was related to better weight loss maintenance and well-being. The more flexible restraint increased during the WLM intervention, the more psychological distress decreased. Moreover, lar…
The effects of acceptance and commitment therapy on eating behavior and diet delivered through face-to-face contact and a mobile app: a randomized controlled trial
Background Internal motivation and good psychological capabilities are important factors in successful eating-related behavior change. Thus, we investigated whether general acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) affects reported eating behavior and diet quality and whether baseline perceived stress moderates the intervention effects. Methods Secondary analysis of unblinded randomized controlled trial in three Finnish cities. Working-aged adults with psychological distress and overweight or obesity in three parallel groups: (1) ACT-based Face-to-face (n = 70; six group sessions led by a psychologist), (2) ACT-based Mobile (n = 78; one group session and mobile app), and (3) Control (n = 71; …
Psychological flexibility mediates change in intuitive eating regulation in acceptance and commitment therapy interventions
AbstractObjectiveDespite the promising results related to intuitive eating, few studies have attempted to explain the processes encouraging this adaptive eating behaviour. The focus of the present study was on exploring mechanisms of change in intuitive eating and weight in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) interventions. Mediation provides important information regarding the treatment processes and theoretical models related to specific treatment approaches. The study investigates whether psychological flexibility, mindfulness skills and sense of coherence mediated the interventions’ effect on intuitive eating and weight.DesignSecondary analysis of a randomized control trial. Mediati…
Effectiveness of a web-based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy intervention for wellbeing of parents whose children have chronic conditions: A randomized controlled trial
Effectiveness of a web-based acceptance and commitment therapy intervention for wellbeing of parents whose children have chronic conditions : A randomized controlled trial
Psychological inflexibility explains distress in parents whose children have chronic conditions
Experiential avoidance, cognitive defusion, and mindfulness have all been associated with psychological disorders and well-being. This study investigates whether they predict psychological distress, i.e., symptoms of burnout, depression, stress and anxiety, in parents of children with chronic conditions. We hypothesized that these factors would exhibit a large degree of common variance, and that when compared to mindfulness and defusion, experiential avoidance on its own would predict a larger proportion of unique variance. 75 parents of children with chronic conditions having burnout symptoms who participated in an intervention study completed measures of burnout, stress, anxiety, depressi…
The Effects of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Intervention on Inflammation and Stress Biomarkers : a Randomized Controlled Trial
Abstract Background Psychological processes can be manifested in physiological health. We investigated whether acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), targeted on psychological flexibility (PF), influences inflammation and stress biomarkers among working-age adults with psychological distress and overweight/obesity. Method Participants were randomized into three parallel groups: (1) ACT-based face-to-face (n = 65; six group sessions led by a psychologist), (2) ACT-based mobile (n = 73; one group session and mobile app), and (3) control (n = 66; only the measurements). Systemic inflammation and stress markers were analyzed at baseline, at 10 weeks after the baseline (post-intervention), and…
Additional file 2: of The effects of acceptance and commitment therapy on eating behavior and diet delivered through face-to-face contact and a mobile app: a randomized controlled trial
Table S2. Standardized estimates (standard error) and p-values for moderated intervention effects. (PDF 27Â kb)
Mobile Mental Wellness Training for Stress Management: Feasibility and Design Implications Based on a One-Month Field Study
Background: Prevention and management of work-related stress and related mental problems is a great challenge. Mobile applications are a promising way to integrate prevention strategies into the everyday lives of citizens. Objective: The objectives of this study was to study the usage, acceptance, and usefulness of a mobile mental wellness training application among working-age individuals, and to derive preliminary design implications for mobile apps for stress management. Methods: Oiva, a mobile app based on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), was designed to support active learning of skills related to mental wellness through brief ACT-based exercises in the daily life. A one-month …
Additional file 1: of The effects of acceptance and commitment therapy on eating behavior and diet delivered through face-to-face contact and a mobile app: a randomized controlled trial
Table S1. The effects of ACT-based Face-to-face and Mobile interventions on diet quality. (PDF 26Â kb)
Additional file 2: of The effects of acceptance and commitment therapy on eating behavior and diet delivered through face-to-face contact and a mobile app: a randomized controlled trial
Table S2. Standardized estimates (standard error) and p-values for moderated intervention effects. (PDF 27Â kb)
Usage and Dose Response of a Mobile Acceptance and Commitment Therapy App: Secondary Analysis of the Intervention Arm of a Randomized Controlled Trial
Background: Mobile phone apps offer a promising medium to deliver psychological interventions. A mobile app based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) was developed and studied in a randomized controlled trial (RCT). Objective: To study usage metrics of a mobile ACT intervention and dose-response relationship between usage and improvement in psychological flexibility. Methods: An RCT was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of different lifestyle interventions for overweight people with psychological stress. This paper presents a secondary analysis of the group that received an 8-week mobile ACT intervention. Most of the analyzed 74 participants were female (n=64, 86%). Their me…
Psychological flexibility and mindfulness explain intuitive eating in overweight adults.
The current study investigated whether mindfulness and psychological flexibility, independently and together, explain intuitive eating. The participants were overweight or obese persons ( N = 306) reporting symptoms of perceived stress and enrolled in a psychological lifestyle intervention study. Participants completed self-report measures of psychological flexibility; mindfulness including the subscales observe, describe, act with awareness, non-react, and non-judgment; and intuitive eating including the subscales unconditional permission to eat, eating for physical reasons, and reliance on hunger/satiety cues. Psychological flexibility and mindfulness were positively associated with intu…