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On gender and cognitive flexibility. The REM-ACT study: Acceptance and commitment therapy versus a mindfulness-based emotional regulation intervention in anxiety disorders. A randomized controlled trial

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 August 2021

E. Fernández-Jiménez*
Affiliation:
Idipaz, Department Of Psychiatry, Clinical Psychology And Mental Health, La Paz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
E. Vidal-Bermejo
Affiliation:
Department Of Psychiatry, Clinical Psychology And Mental Health, La Paz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
I. Torrea-Araiz
Affiliation:
Department Of Psychiatry, Clinical Psychology And Mental Health, La Paz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
T. Castellanos-Villaverde
Affiliation:
Department Of Psychiatry, Clinical Psychology And Mental Health, La Paz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
G. Navarro-Oliver
Affiliation:
Department Of Psychiatry, Clinical Psychology And Mental Health, La Paz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
A. Hospital-Moreno
Affiliation:
Department Of Psychiatry, Clinical Psychology And Mental Health, La Paz University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

Research is needed to explore whether cognitive flexibility may account for potential gender differences after mindfulness-based interventions.

Objectives

To compare the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) versus a Mindfulness-based Emotional Regulation (MER) intervention on cognitive flexibility according to gender.

Methods

This study was carried out in a Mental Health Unit in Spain (Colmenar Viejo, Madrid). Firstly, 80 adult patients with anxiety disorders were randomized according to the score on the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (blocking factor), of whom, 64 patients decided to participate (mean age = 40.66, S.D. = 11.43; 40 females). Each intervention was weekly, during 8 weeks, guided by two Clinical Psychology residents. A 2x2x2 mixed ANOVA (pre-post change x intervention type x gender) was conducted, with Sidak-correction post hoc tests. The dependent variable was the score on TMT-B.

Results

A natural logarithmic transformation was conducted to correct violation of normality and homoscedasticity assumptions. No statistically significant differences were observed on age or gender between interventions. No statistically significant interaction effect was observed between pre-post change x intervention x gender [F(1, 52) = .014, p = .907]. An interaction effect was observed between pre-post change x intervention [F(1, 52) = 4.180, p = .046; statistical power observed = 52%]: while TMT-B improved after ACT (p = .001; Cohen’s d = 0.607), there were no changes after MER (p = .367; Cohen’s d = 0.097).

Conclusions

These medium effect-size results confirm previous findings of our research team indicating cognitive flexibility improves after ACT but not after MER.

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

Type
Abstract
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
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