Beyond the Urge: Evaluating the Impact of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Impulsivity among Adults with Substance Use Disorder

Abstract

The present study explored the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in decreasing the level of impulsivity among adults with SUD. The quasi-experimental between-groups design was used. The sample comprised 40 substance use disorder (SUD) diagnosed adults aged 18-64 years from substance rehabilitation centers in Pakistan. There was no significant difference between the participants in the experimental and control groups, who were equally split between those who received ACT intervention and those who received standard rehabilitation care. The Urdu version of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) was used to measure impulsivity. The intervention group was given six sessions of ACT in three weeks. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and an independent sample t-test in SPSS-25. Pre-test results showed no significant differences between the experimental and control groups (t = .25, p = .80), indicating that the groups were equivalent at pre-test. Results of the post-tests, however, showed that there was a significant decrease in participants' impulsivity scores for ACT (M = 69.20, SD = 6.90) and control (M = 80.50, SD = 8.00): t = -3.45, p = .001. The results indicate that ACT could be an effective intervention for enhancing self-control and decreasing impulsive behaviors in adults with SUD. It suggests that ACT-based interventions have the potential to be implemented in rehabilitation settings in Pakistan.