Effectiveness of Single-Session Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Generalized Anxiety Symptoms.

NCT07892768 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: GIFT/PSY/MS/2025/011
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 50
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study examined whether a single 120-minute, therapist-led Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (SS-ACT) session, delivered individually and face-to-face in Urdu, was associated with reduced generalized anxiety symptoms among undergraduate students in Pakistan. Fifty full-time undergraduate students aged 18 to 25 at GIFT University (25 male, 25 female), who scored 5 or above on the GAD-7 and met DSM-5 criteria for generalized anxiety disorder on the SCID-5 interview, received the session. Anxiety symptoms (GAD-7) were measured before the session, immediately after it, and at a two-week follow-up. Psychological inflexibility (AAQ-II) was measured before and immediately after the session. The study also examined whether changes in anxiety differed between male and female participants. This was a single-group study without a control or comparison group.

Conditions

Generalised Anxiety Disorder; Anxiety

Keywords

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy; Single-Session Therapy; Generalized Anxiety Symptoms; University Students; Psychological Inflexibility; Pakistan; GAD-7; AAQ-II

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in generalized anxiety symptoms (GAD-7)

  Generalized anxiety symptom severity measured with the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), a 7-item self-report scale. Total scores range from 0 to 21; higher scores indicate greater anxiety severity. Change was examined across pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention, and two-week follow-up.

  Pre-intervention (baseline), immediately post-intervention, and two-week follow-up

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Change in psychological inflexibility (AAQ-II)

  Pre-intervention (baseline) and immediately post-intervention

Study Arms (1)

SS-ACT

EXPERIMENTAL

Single group of 50 undergraduate students aged 18 to 25 at GIFT University (25 male, 25 female) with generalized anxiety disorder confirmed by SCID-5. All participants received one 120-minute therapist-led SS-ACT session in Urdu. GAD-7 was administered before the session, immediately after it, and at two-week follow-up; AAQ-II before and immediately after. No control or comparison group.

Behavioral: Single-Session Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (SS-ACT)

Interventions

Single-Session Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (SS-ACT) BEHAVIORAL

A single 120-minute, therapist-led, individual, face-to-face ACT session in Urdu, structured in seven stages and covering the six core ACT processes: introduction and psychoeducation, present-moment awareness, cognitive defusion, acceptance, self-as-context, values clarification and committed action.

SS-ACT

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 25 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Aged 18 to 25 years
• Currently enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student at GIFT University
• GAD-7 score of 5 or above
• Meets diagnostic criteria for Generalized Anxiety Disorder, as confirmed by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5)

You may not qualify if:

• Current participation in psychotherapy or pharmacological treatment for anxiety
• Self-reported history of severe psychiatric disorder (e.g., psychotic disorder or bipolar disorder), or any other condition judged during screening likely to interfere with participation in the intervention
• Inability to provide informed consent or complete the study procedures independently
• Failure to meet the study eligibility criteria during the SCID-5 screening interview

Sponsors & Collaborators

• GIFT University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Gift University

Guiranwala, Punjab Province, 52250, Pakistan

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Generalized Anxiety Disorder; Anxiety Disorders

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Mental Disorders

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Effectiveness of Single-Session Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Generalized Anxiety Symptoms Among University Students

Model Details: Single-group, quasi-experimental, repeated-measures design. All participants received the same single-session intervention; no control or comparison group.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: October 18, 2026
• First Posted: October 23, 2026
• Study Start: May 5, 2026
• Primary Completion: July 31, 2026
• Study Completion: July 31, 2026
• Last Updated: October 23, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-10

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

PA (1)