A Prospective and Experimental Study on the Effect of One-Day of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on Psychological Flexibility, Psychological Capital, Anxiety and Depression Among Undergraduate Students.

NCT06832462 | Completed DMC

• 2 other identifiers: UTMREC-2024-83Q.J130000.3853.31J93
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 61
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goal of this study is to examine the effect of a one-day ACT intervention on psychological flexibility and psychological capital among undergraduate students at UTM who have anxiety and depression. Undergraduate students who scored moderate or above on anxiety and depression questionnaires during screening and volunteered to participate will be invited to a one-day ACT intervention. The participants will be randomly divided into two groups, which are the intervention and waitlist groups. Assessment of psychological flexibility, psychological capital, anxiety, and depression levels will be given online at the pre-intervention phase (T1), post-intervention phase (T2), and follow-up after one month phase (T3). The main questions it aims to answer are the following:-

• The intervention group will participate in a one-day Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) intervention during data collection while the waitlist group receives it after the data completion.
• Answer set of questionnaires during pre-intervention (T1), post-intervention (T2) and follow-up after one month (T3).

Conditions

Anxiety; Depression

Keywords

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT); University student; psychological flexibility; psychological capital

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II

  ). The AAQ-II is a 7-item self-report measure of psychological flexibility. Participants respond using a 7-point Likert scale, with higher scores reflecting greater psychological inflexibility.

  One hour before intervention, one hour after intervention, and 1 month after intervention

• Psychological Capital Questionnaire

  Psychological capital will be measured using the Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ) developed by Luthans (2007). The questionnaire consists of 22 items, divided into 6 existing scales, with answers ranging from "strongly disagree" to "strongly agree". In this scale, 6 items represent each dimension of PsyCap: hope, self-efficacy, resilience, and optimism. The final score indicated a person's level of positive PsyCap.

  One hour before intervention, one hour after intervention, and 1 month after intervention

• Beck Anxiety Inventory

  The Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) will be used to measure anxiety. The BAI score is divided into 4 categories: 0-7 indicates minimal anxiety, 8-15 indicates mild anxiety, 16-25 indicates moderate anxiety, and 26-63 indicates severe anxiety.

  Screening phase, one hour before intervention, one hour after intervention, and 1 month after intervention

• Beck Depression Inventory

  The Beck depression inventory (BDI) is used to measure depression level. The total score of the BDI is divided into 4 categories: 0-13 indicates minimal, 14-19 indicates mild, 20-28 indicates moderate, and 29-63 indicates severe depression

  Screening phase, one hour before intervention, one hour after intervention, and 1 month after intervention

Study Arms (2)

Intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

This group will receive one-day Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). The therapy includes 4 sessions that explain and guide participants to understand the concept of ACT and apply it in their daily lives for the purpose of increasing their psychological flexibility.

Behavioral: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Waitlist Group

OTHER

After data completion, the waitlist group will receive a similar one-day ACT intervention. During data collection, this group did not receive any intervention in order to compare the level of psychological flexibility, psychological capital, anxiety and depression between the intervention group and the waitlist group.

Behavioral: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Interventions

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy BEHAVIORAL

A one-day Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) will be held with three (3) sessions. The sessions start with ice breaking, and follow by, The first session will build a therapeutic relationship and icebreaking, using animated video (unwanted guest) presentations to explain how ACT can help manage issues. The second session will focus on acceptance and defusion concepts, emphasizing the importance of letting go of unproductive emotion-control techniques by using animated video (response ability) The third session, 'Show Up', will increase awareness of undesirable thoughts and feelings through structured mindfulness exercises and observing surroundings. The therapist will explain the metaphor of dropping the anchor and emphasize the

Intervention; Waitlist Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 29 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Local Malaysian Students
• years old and above
• Students who scored moderate or above for the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) or Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) during the screening phase.

You may not qualify if:

• International UTM students, due to the intervention being conducted in Bahasa Malaysia
• Students who have a neurodevelopmental condition or those currently receiving psychiatric treatment or attending psychotherapy sessions, including ACT-based interventions
• Students with a clinically diagnosed psychotic disorder confirmed by a psychiatrist.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Universiti Teknologi Malaysia: lead

Study Sites (1)

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

Johor Bahru, Johor, 81310, Malaysia

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Anxiety Disorders; Depression

Interventions

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Mental Disorders; Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Behavior Therapy; Psychotherapy; Behavioral Disciplines and Activities

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Postgraduate Student

Model Details: There are two group: intervention and waitlist

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 13, 2025
• First Posted: February 18, 2025
• Study Start: March 1, 2024
• Primary Completion: September 30, 2025
• Study Completion: February 28, 2026
• Last Updated: July 6, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

MY (1)