Skip to main content
Top
Published in: Community Mental Health Journal 7/2020

01-10-2020 | Brief Report

Promoting Resilience Among College Student Veterans Through an Acceptance-and-Commitment-Therapy App: An Intervention Refinement Study

Authors: Andrew Thomas Reyes, Venkatesan Muthukumar, Tirth R. Bhatta, Judzia N. Bombard, William J. Gangozo

Published in: Community Mental Health Journal | Issue 7/2020

Login to get access

Abstract

Military veterans’ stigmatized views on mental disorders and traditional mental health care considerably reduce veterans’ access to mental health services. The present study aimed to refine a previously developed non-stigmatizing smartphone-app intervention based on the principles of acceptance and commitment therapy for college student veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). To this end, we tested the acceptability of the developed prototype using a mixed-method study design. A total of nine student veterans participated in the study by using the app intervention and completing pre-post study measures and a post-intervention qualitative interview. The results showed that the intervention was highly acceptable. The results of the qualitative data analysis highlighted relevant themes related to strategies for improving the content, delivery, and structure of the intervention. The results also showed that, despite a decrease in the participants’ adherence as the intervention progressed, there was a consistent improvement in the participants’ resilience, PTSD, and rumination. Based on the results, the intervention was revised for prospective feasibility and efficacy testing. Our results highlight the need to use a collaborative approach in the early stage of the development of self-management PTSD interventions.
Literature
go back to reference Fredman, S. J., Marshall, A. D., Le, Y., Aronson, K. R., Perkins, D. F., & Hayes, J. A. (2019). Interpersonal relationship quality mediates the association between military-related posttraumatic stress and academic dysfunction among student veterans. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 11(4), 415–423. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0000363.CrossRef Fredman, S. J., Marshall, A. D., Le, Y., Aronson, K. R., Perkins, D. F., & Hayes, J. A. (2019). Interpersonal relationship quality mediates the association between military-related posttraumatic stress and academic dysfunction among student veterans. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 11(4), 415–423. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1037/​tra0000363.CrossRef
go back to reference Harris, R. (2019). ACT made simple: An easy-to-read primer on acceptance and commitment therapy (2nd ed.). Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications. Harris, R. (2019). ACT made simple: An easy-to-read primer on acceptance and commitment therapy (2nd ed.). Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.
go back to reference Hayes, S. C. (2004). Acceptance and commitment therapy and the new behavior therapies: Mindfulness, acceptance, and relationship. In S. C. Hayes, V. M. Follette, & M. M. Linehan (Eds.), Mindfulness and acceptance: Expanding the cognitive-behavioral tradition. New York: Guilford Press. Hayes, S. C. (2004). Acceptance and commitment therapy and the new behavior therapies: Mindfulness, acceptance, and relationship. In S. C. Hayes, V. M. Follette, & M. M. Linehan (Eds.), Mindfulness and acceptance: Expanding the cognitive-behavioral tradition. New York: Guilford Press.
go back to reference Hayes, S. C., & Smith, S. (2005). Get out of your mind and into your life: The new Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications. Hayes, S. C., & Smith, S. (2005). Get out of your mind and into your life: The new Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.
go back to reference Meyer, E. C., Morissette, S. B., Kimbrel, N. A., Kruse, M. I., & Gulliver, S. B. (2013). Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II scores as a predictor of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms among war veterans. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 5(6), 521–528. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0030178.CrossRef Meyer, E. C., Morissette, S. B., Kimbrel, N. A., Kruse, M. I., & Gulliver, S. B. (2013). Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II scores as a predictor of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms among war veterans. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 5(6), 521–528. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1037/​a0030178.CrossRef
go back to reference Meyer, E. C., Walser, R., Hermann, B., La Bash, H., DeBeer, B. B., Morissette, S. B., et al. (2018). Acceptance and commitment therapy for co-occurring posttraumatic stress disorder and alcohol use disorders in veterans: Pilot treatment outcomes. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 31(5), 781–789. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.22322.CrossRefPubMed Meyer, E. C., Walser, R., Hermann, B., La Bash, H., DeBeer, B. B., Morissette, S. B., et al. (2018). Acceptance and commitment therapy for co-occurring posttraumatic stress disorder and alcohol use disorders in veterans: Pilot treatment outcomes. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 31(5), 781–789. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1002/​jts.​22322.CrossRefPubMed
go back to reference Pietrzak, R. H., Johnson, D. C., Goldstein, M. B., Malley, J. C., Rivers, A. J., Morgan, C. A., et al. (2010). Psychosocial buffers of traumatic stress, depressive symptoms, and psychosocial difficulties in veterans of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom: The role of resilience, unit support, and postdeployment social support. Journal of Affective Disorders, 120(1–3), 188–192. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2009.04.015.CrossRefPubMed Pietrzak, R. H., Johnson, D. C., Goldstein, M. B., Malley, J. C., Rivers, A. J., Morgan, C. A., et al. (2010). Psychosocial buffers of traumatic stress, depressive symptoms, and psychosocial difficulties in veterans of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom: The role of resilience, unit support, and postdeployment social support. Journal of Affective Disorders, 120(1–3), 188–192. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/​j.​jad.​2009.​04.​015.CrossRefPubMed
go back to reference Stoddard, J. A., & Afari, N. (2014). The big book of ACT metaphors: A practitioner’s guide to experiential exercises and metaphors in acceptance and commitment therapy. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications. Stoddard, J. A., & Afari, N. (2014). The big book of ACT metaphors: A practitioner’s guide to experiential exercises and metaphors in acceptance and commitment therapy. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications.
go back to reference Tamannaeifar, S., Gharraee, B., Birashk, B., & Habibi, M. (2014). A comparative effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy and group cognitive therapy for major depressive disorder. Zahedan Journal of Research in Medical Sciences Journal, 16(Suppl 1), 60–63. Tamannaeifar, S., Gharraee, B., Birashk, B., & Habibi, M. (2014). A comparative effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy and group cognitive therapy for major depressive disorder. Zahedan Journal of Research in Medical Sciences Journal, 16(Suppl 1), 60–63.
go back to reference Towsyfyan, N., & Sabet, F. H. (2017). The effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on the improving of resilience and optimism in adolescents with major depressive disorder. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 7(3), 239–245. Towsyfyan, N., & Sabet, F. H. (2017). The effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on the improving of resilience and optimism in adolescents with major depressive disorder. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 7(3), 239–245.
go back to reference Tullis, T., & Albert, W. (2008). Measuring the user experience: Collecting, analyzing, and presenting usability metrics. Burlington: Morgan Kaufmann. Tullis, T., & Albert, W. (2008). Measuring the user experience: Collecting, analyzing, and presenting usability metrics. Burlington: Morgan Kaufmann.
Metadata
Title
Promoting Resilience Among College Student Veterans Through an Acceptance-and-Commitment-Therapy App: An Intervention Refinement Study
Authors
Andrew Thomas Reyes
Venkatesan Muthukumar
Tirth R. Bhatta
Judzia N. Bombard
William J. Gangozo
Publication date
01-10-2020
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Community Mental Health Journal / Issue 7/2020
Print ISSN: 0010-3853
Electronic ISSN: 1573-2789
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-020-00617-4

Other articles of this Issue 7/2020

Community Mental Health Journal 7/2020 Go to the issue