Study of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy ACT for Adolescents with Oppositional Defiant Disorder or Social Anxiety Disorder to Improve Social and Emotional Symptoms

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are studying adolescents with Oppositional Defiant Disorder ODD and Social Anxiety Disorder SAD, two conditions marked by problematic social functioning but with different outward symptoms. This research aims to evaluate the effects of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy ACT, a behavioral approach that targets underlying psychological processes common to both disorders, to see if it can improve social fears, disruptive behavior, and mental health in these adolescents. The project includes three clinical trials to test ACTs impact and similarities in treating these disorders during adolescence. The intervention, called ACTsocially, is a structured face-to-face program consisting of 11 weekly sessions of about 50 minutes each. The sessions include mindfulness exercises, reviews of prior sessions, psychoeducation, metaphors, experiential activities, and commitments for the following week. Participants include adolescents diagnosed with ODD or SAD, with some receiving ACTsocially and others serving as control groups. Assessments are conducted before and after the intervention, as well as at 3- and 6-month follow-ups. Participants will be involved in assessments measuring changes in social fears, disruptive and aggressive behaviors, psychological flexibility, and overall mental health at baseline, after 11 weeks, and during follow-up visits. The study uses questionnaires and interviews to track these outcomes and evaluates whether improvements last over time. The research team also monitors safety and adherence, ensuring that adolescents and their guardians provide informed consent and understand participation is voluntary. The study is sponsored by the University of Coimbra and runs until September 2027.

ACTsocially: The (Dis)Similarities of ACT for Changing Internalizing and Externalizing Symptomatology in Adolescence