Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder in U.S. Military Veterans: A Multiple Baseline Study.

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a supported intervention used with active-duty soldiers and veterans. In this multiple baseline study, we tested a 10-session ACT protocol for veterans with social anxiety disorder (SAD) using a culturally adapted protocol of ACT for veterans. At the individual level, three of four participants showed responses to treatment. Average self-monitored avoidance behaviors across all four participants decreased from 44.55 per day at pretreatment to 29.71 during treatment and further to 10.18 at follow-up. Average levels of self-reported anxiety moderately decreased by comparison. Finally, self-reports of psychological flexibility, sleep, suicidality, anxiety, and depression all moved in appropriate directions throughout treatment. Descriptions of exercises tailored to veteran populations are included. Limitations and future directions are discussed.