The ACTyourCHANGE in Teens Study Protocol: An Acceptance and Commitment Therapy-Based Intervention for Adolescents with Obesity: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Anna Guerrini Usubini, Roberto Cattivelli, Vanessa Bertuzzi, Giorgia Varallo, Alessandro Alberto Rossi, Clarissa Volpi, Michela Bottacchi, Sofia Tamini, Alessandra De Col, Giada Pietrabissa, Stefania Mannarini, Gianluca Castelnuovo, Enrico Molinari and Alessandro Sartorio
Additional contact information
Anna Guerrini Usubini: Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, Psychology Research Laboratory, 20145 Milan, Italy
Roberto Cattivelli: Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, Psychology Research Laboratory, 20145 Milan, Italy
Vanessa Bertuzzi: Department of Psychology, Catholic University of Milan, 20123 Milan, Italy
Giorgia Varallo: Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, Psychology Research Laboratory, 20145 Milan, Italy
Alessandro Alberto Rossi: Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education, and Applied Psychology, Section of Applied Psychology, University of Padova, 35139 Padova, Italy
Clarissa Volpi: Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, Psychology Research Laboratory, 20145 Milan, Italy
Michela Bottacchi: Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, Psychology Research Laboratory, 20145 Milan, Italy
Sofia Tamini: Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, Experimental Laboratory for Auxo-Endocrinological Research, 28824 Piancavallo (VB), Italy
Alessandra De Col: Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, Experimental Laboratory for Auxo-Endocrinological Research, 28824 Piancavallo (VB), Italy
Giada Pietrabissa: Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, Psychology Research Laboratory, 20145 Milan, Italy
Stefania Mannarini: Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education, and Applied Psychology, Section of Applied Psychology, University of Padova, 35139 Padova, Italy
Gianluca Castelnuovo: Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, Psychology Research Laboratory, 20145 Milan, Italy
Enrico Molinari: Istituto Auxologico Italiano IRCCS, Psychology Research Laboratory, 20145 Milan, Italy
Alessandro Sartorio: Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, Experimental Laboratory for Auxo-Endocrinological Research, 28824 Piancavallo (VB), Italy

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 12, 1-12

Abstract: This Randomized Controlled Trial [(RCT) aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a brief Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)-based intervention combined with treatment as usual (TAU) compared to TAU only in improving psychological conditions in a sample of adolescents with obesity (body mass index, BMI > 97th percentile for age and sex) within the context of a wider multidisciplinary rehabilitation program for weight loss. Fifty consecutive adolescents (12–17 years) of both genders with obesity will be recruited among the patients hospitalized in a clinical center for obesity rehabilitation and randomly allocated into two experimental conditions: ACT + TAU vs. TAU only. Both groups will attend a three-week in-hospital multidisciplinary rehabilitation program for weight loss. The ACT + TAU condition comprises a psychological intervention based on ACT combined with a standard psychological assessment and support to the hospitalization. The TAU comprises the standard psychological assessment and support to the hospitalization. At pre- to post-psychological intervention, participants will complete the Avoidance and Fusion Questionnaire for Youth, the Psychological Well-Being Scale, the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, and the Emotional Eating subscale of the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire to assess psychological well-being as the primary outcome and experiential avoidance, psychological distress, emotional dysregulation, and emotional eating as secondary outcomes. Repeated-measures ANOVAs (2 × 2) will be conducted. The study will assess the effectiveness of a brief ACT-based intervention for adolescents with obesity in improving their psychological conditions by targeting specific core processes of the ACT framework (openness, awareness, and engagement). Future directions of the study will assess whether these psychological processes will contribute to addressing long-term weight loss.

Keywords: obesity rehabilitation; adolescents; acceptance and commitment therapy; psychological well-being; psychological flexibility (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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