Search results for "Psychological flexibility"

In the shadow of COVID-19: A randomized controlled online ACT trial promoting adolescent psychological flexibility and self-compassion.

2023

Background Although some adolescents managed to cope well with the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the well-being of many was adversely affected due to school closures, distance education, restrictions on gathering with friends, and limited access to mental health services. Many adolescents reported increased anxiety and depression as well as decreased psychological wellbeing due to the pandemic. Consequently, there is a need for psychological support that exceeds the strained resources available to schools to support young people during times of crisis and societal pressure. Objective The present study aimed to explore the effects of an online-delivered ACT intervention to …

The effectiveness of a five-session workshop on the distress of international students in Finland – a pilot study

2023

The mental health of international students has become a concern, as they face high levels of psychological distress. We designed a five-week acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) workshop with two additional individual assessment meetings. The intervention aimed at helping international students attending a Finnish university to reduce their symptoms of stress, depression, and anxiety, and enhance skills of psychological flexibility. The post-assessment was conducted seven weeks after the pre-measurement. Using data from 53 participants, an evaluation indicated that statistically and clinically significant reductions in symptoms were observed, and the workshop was well received. Regressi…

Behavioral and psychological flexibility in eating regulation among overweight adults

2016

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 …

Adolescents with poorly controlled type 1 diabetes : psychological flexibility is associated with the glycemic control, quality of life and depressiv…

2021

This study investigates the role of psychological flexibility in relation to glycaemic control (HbA1c) and quality of life among adolescents with poorly-controlled diabetes. Adolescents (n = 65, aged 12–16 years) completed the Children and Adolescents Mindfulness Measure (CAMM), the Diabetes Acceptance and Action Scale for Children and Adolescents (DAAS), the Depression Scale (RBDI), and the Health-Related Quality of Life Scale (KINDL-R). HbA1c values were collected from medical records. A higher level of psychological flexibility was associated with better glycaemic control, better quality of life, and lower levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms. Mediation analysis showed that diabetes…

Changes in Mindfulness Facets and Psychological Flexibility Associated with Changes in Depressive Symptoms in a Brief Acceptance and Value Based Inte…

2018

ACTing for depressive symptoms : a longitudinal study of a brief 4-session acceptance- and value-based intervention for symptoms of depression

2018

The main objective of this study was to investigate a brief 4-session intervention based on a theoretical framework of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and to explore its short- and long-term effectiveness among individuals reporting depressive symptoms. Additionally, the research aimed at further exploring the elements of psychological flexibility and mindfulness associated with improvements in depressive symptoms. The dissertation comprises three studies. Study I investigated the effectiveness of the brief intervention compared to a waiting-list control group. In total, 57 participants were randomized into either the ACT intervention (n = 28) or the waiting-list control (WLC; n = …

Temperament and symptoms of stress and depression among adolescents: The mediating role of psychological flexibility

2023

Abstract Background Early appearing temperamental differences and the psychological flexibility skills of individuals are proposed factors influencing stress and depression among adolescents. We test the theoretical assumption that temperament may form a basis for facing the outer world, while the development of psychological flexibility being another such basis and a mediator in well-being outcomes. Methods Using data on 740 adolescents (Mage = 15.7 years, 57% female) assessed at the beginning and end of the final grade of basic education, structural equation modeling (SEM) with mediation analysis was conducted to examine the associations between the key temperament dimensions, changes in …

Adolescents’ Stress and Depressive symptoms and Their Associations with Psychological Flexibility before Educational Transition

2023

Introduction: Relatively little is known about individual differences in adolescent psychological flexibility and its associations with symptoms of stress and depression. This study examined different profiles of adolescent stress and depressive symptoms and their associations with developing psychological flexibility before the critical educational transition. Methods: The data were derived from a general sample of 740 Finnish ninth-grade adolescents (Mage = 15.7 years, 57% female) who were assessed twice during the final grade of their basic education. The data were analyzed using growth mixture modeling. Results: Four profiles of stress and depressive symptoms were identified during a sc…

Perceptions, motives, and psychological flexibility associated with weight management

2012

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…