Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is grounded in the basic behavior analytic research on derived stimulus relations. This empirical and theoretical framework suggests that the attempt to avoid private experience (thoughts, feelings, memories, bodily sensations) is ubiquitous, and also may serve as a pathogenic process. Many psychological models of substance abuse suggest that substance abusers use, in part, to reduce (i.e., escape or avoid) stress or anxiety. The present proposal argues that the development and maintenance of abstinence may be more likely if emotional avoidance itself can be changed. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is designed to accomplish this goal. The objectives of the proposed research are to compare ACT to Twelve Step Facilitation in the development and maintenance of polysubstance-abusing methadone clients in a 24-week randomized clinical trial with a six month follow up.
The specific aims are to generate sufficient data to provide a basis for a power analysis, to test the acceptability of ACT in the treatment of opiate dependent individuals, to make a preliminary evaluation of the durability of the treatment effects generated by ACT, to assess the reliability of our measures of treatment adherence and competence, to assess the relationship between treatment adherence and competence and client outcome, and to develop data on the active mechanism of change in ACT as a route to matching hypotheses to be tested in a subsequent study. The purpose of the present proposal is to increase knowledge on treatment for an extremely costly and difficult client population, whose multiple and chronic addictions have numerous related social and health costs.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01DA008634-05
Application #
2897911
Study Section
Human Development Research Subcommittee (NIDA)
Project Start
1993-09-30
Project End
2001-07-31
Budget Start
1999-08-01
Budget End
2001-07-31
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
1999
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Nevada Reno
Department
Psychology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
146515460
City
Reno
State
NV
Country
United States
Zip Code
89557
Bach, Patricia; Hayes, Steven C (2002) The use of acceptance and commitment therapy to prevent the rehospitalization of psychotic patients: a randomized controlled trial. J Consult Clin Psychol 70:1129-39
Friman, P C; Hayes, S C; Wilson, K G (1998) Why behavior analysts should study emotion: the example of anxiety. J Appl Behav Anal 31:137-56
Wilson, K G; Hayes, S C; Gifford, E V (1997) Cognition in behavior therapy: agreements and differences. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry 28:53-63
Hayes, S C; Wilson, K G; Gifford, E V et al. (1996) Experimental avoidance and behavioral disorders: a functional dimensional approach to diagnosis and treatment. J Consult Clin Psychol 64:1152-68
Hayes, S C (1996) Developing a theory of derived stimulus relations. J Exp Anal Behav 65:309-11
Hayes, S C; Wilson, K G (1995) The role of cognition in complex human behavior: a contextualistic perspective. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry 26:241-8
Hayes, S C; Pistorello, J; Walser, R D (1995) Communicating behavioral views and techniques to practicing clinicians. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry 26:107-12