An interventional study of An intervention protocol based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in Emotional Difficulties, sponsored by Juan Miguel Flujas. Completed at 1 site in Spain. Open to participants aged 14 Years to 16 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-11-02.
Sponsored by Juan Miguel Flujas · Not applicable, Interventional, and Prevention
This exploratory study aimed to describe pretest-posttest changes in emotional regulation difficulties, processes related to psychological flexibility, and anxiety and depressive symptoms in six adolescents who participated in a school-based intervention grounded in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
Background/objectives: Emotional regulation and psychological flexibility have been associated with greater well-being and a lower risk of psychological disorders. Therefore, they have been proposed as relevant variables in interventions with adolescents. This exploratory study aimed to describe pretest-posttest changes in emotional regulation difficulties, processes related to psychological flexibility, and anxiety and depressive symptoms in six adolescents who participated in a school-based intervention grounded in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Method: Six female adolescents aged 14-16 years participated in the study. A pre-experimental design with pretest-posttest assessments and no control group was employed. The intervention consisted of 10 weekly sessions and was delivered in person, while maintaining the naturally occurring groups established within the academic setting. Results: Statistically significant differences with large effect sizes were found in emotional regulation, experiential avoidance, and cognitive fusion (core processes of psychological inflexibility), along with a reduction in anxiety and depressive symptoms at posttest. At the individual level, significant decreases in experiential avoidance, cognitive fusion, and depressive symptoms were observed in a high percentage of participants. Discussion: These preliminary findings suggest that the protocol has potential for use with adolescents experiencing emotional difficulties.
545 studies on the registry are indexed under Emotional Regulation; 188 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 6 is below the median of 79 across 498 interventional studies indexed under Emotional Regulation.
Browse Emotional Regulation studies →This is the only study on the registry with Juan Miguel Flujas as lead sponsor.
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Inclusion Criteria:
Behavioral: An intervention protocol based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). This intervention aimed to improve difficulties in emotional regulation, processes associated with psychological flexibility, and anxiety and depressive symptoms through the use of ACT-specific metaphors and experiential exercises, combined with content from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). The intervention consisted of 10 weekly one-hour sessions, three of which were individual sessions (sessions 1, 5, and 10), while the remaining seven were conducted in a group format. The intervention was delivered face-to-face, respecting the naturally established groups within the academic setting.
Behavioral: An intervention protocol based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
This intervention aimed to improve difficulties in emotional regulation, processes associated with psychological flexibility, and anxiety and depressive symptoms through the use of ACT-specific metaphors and experiential exercises, combined with content from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). The intervention consisted of 10 weekly one-hour sessions, three of which were individual sessions (sessions 1, 5, and 10), while the remaining seven were conducted in a group format. The intervention was delivered face-to-face, respecting the naturally established groups within the academic setting.
Also known as: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS; Gómez-Simón et al., 2014)
It is a 36-item scale designed to assess emotion regulation strategies. It comprises six subscales: awareness, impulse control, non-acceptance, goal-directed behavior, emotional clarity, and access to emotion regulation strategies. Cronbach's alpha ranged from .62 to .88
Time frame: Change from baseline immediately after the intervention
The Avoidance and Fusion Questionnaire for Youth (AFQ-Y; Valdivia-Salas et al., 2016)
It consists of 17 items comprising two factors: experiential avoidance and cognitive fusion (core processes of psychological inflexibility). Cronbach's alpha ranged from .76 to .87
Time frame: Change from baseline immediately after the intervention
The Willingness and Action Measure for Children and Adolescents (WAM-C/A; Cobos-Sánchez et al., 2020)
It consists of 14 items and assesses psychological flexibility through two subscales: willingness to remain in contact with unpleasant experiences and values-based action. Cronbach's alpha ranged from .72 to .81
Time frame: Change from baseline immediately after the intervention
The Committed Action Questionnaire (CAQ-8; Escoz-Rodríguez et al., in press) in its 8-item version
Assesses the positive and negative aspects of committed action, defined as an individual's willingness to persist in goal-directed behavior. Cronbach's alpha ranged from .69 to .80
Time frame: Change from baseline immediately after the intervention
The Overall Anxiety Severity and Impairment Scale (OASIS; Osma et al., 2022)
It is a five-item unidimensional scale designed to assess the severity of anxiety symptoms and associated functional impairment in specific situations or as a state measure. Cronbach's alpha was .94
Time frame: Change from baseline immediately after the intervention
The Overall Depression Severity and Impairment Scale (ODSIS; Osma et al., 2022)
It is a five-item unidimensional scale designed to assess the severity of depressive symptoms and associated functional impairment as a state or in specific situations. Cronbach's alpha was .95
Time frame: Change from baseline immediately after the intervention
The Overall Anxiety Severity and Impairment Scale (OASIS; Osma et al., 2022)
It is a five-item unidimensional scale designed to assess the severity of anxiety symptoms and associated functional impairment in specific situations or as a state measure. Cronbach's alpha was .94
Time frame: Pre-session assessment (sessions 2-10)
The Overall Depression Severity and Impairment Scale (ODSIS; Osma et al., 2022)
It is a five-item unidimensional scale designed to assess the severity of depressive symptoms and associated functional impairment as a state or in specific situations. Cronbach's alpha was .95
Time frame: Pre-session assessment (sessions 2-10)
Plan to share: No — Not at the moment
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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