Can Acceptance & Commitment Therapy be delivered with fidelity as a brief telephone-intervention?

This study examined therapist adherence and competence of the first telephone-based Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) intervention for smoking cessation. An independent rater assessed 100% (n = 54 sessions) of the recorded phone sessions for adherence and competence on a 1 (never addressed) to 5 (addressed extensively) scale. A separate 20% random sample was rated by both the same independent rater and a second independent rater. The two coders were in perfect agreement (kappa of 1.0). Overall adherence (x = 4.61, SD = 0.63) and competence (x = 4.81, SD = 0.39) was high. Except self-as-context, benchmark ratings (i.e., 4 or more) were between 93% and 100%. Results suggest ACT therapy can be delivered competently over the telephone, opening many options for future research on the potential uses of telephone-based ACT for smoking and other behaviors.

► Therapist fidelity of the first telephone-based ACT intervention. ► Manual-based treatment for smoking cessation. ► Overall adherence and competence was generally high. ► First evidence that ACT therapy can be delivered competently over the telephone.