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Review
. 2015 Oct 1:155:1-7.
doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2015.08.004. Epub 2015 Aug 13.

An initial meta-analysis of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for treating substance use disorders

Eric B Lee  1 , Woolee An  2 , Michael E Levin  2 , Michael P Twohig  2
Affiliations
Review

An initial meta-analysis of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for treating substance use disorders

Eric B Lee et al. Drug Alcohol Depend. .

Abstract

Background: In the past decade, multiple studies have examined the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for substance use disorders relative to other active treatments. The current meta-analysis examined the aggregate effect size when comparing ACT to other treatments (e.g., CBT, pharmacotherapy, 12-step, treatment as usual) specifically on substance use outcomes.

Method: A total of 10 randomized controlled trials were identified through systematic searches.

Results: A significant small to medium effect size was found favoring ACT relative to active treatment comparisons following treatment. Effect sizes were comparable across studies for smoking cessation (k=5) and for other drug use disorders (k=5).

Conclusions: Based on these findings, ACT appears to be a promising intervention for substance use disorders. Limitations and future directions are discussed.

Keywords: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy; Mindfulness; Opioid dependence; Smoking cessation; Substance use disorder.

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