Comparative Effects of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Treatment-as-Usual on Depression Among People With Marital Crisis
This parallel three-arm, single-blind (assessor-blinded), randomized controlled trial (RCT) aims to compare the effects of ACT, CBT, and treatment-as-usual (TAU) on the severity of depressive symptoms (primary outcome), the severity of comorbid anxiety symptoms, marital satisfaction, intimacy with spouse, quality of life, and experiential avoidance (secondary outcomes) among people diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD) with marital crisis across four time points (T0 = baseline (pre-intervention), T1 = post-intervention (immediately after completion of the intervention, 8 weeks after its commencement), T2 = follow-up at 12 weeks after completion of the intervention, T3 = follow-up at 24 weeks after completion of the intervention). A total of 120 MDD patients with marital crisis will be recruited from two study sites and randomized by stratified block randomization into three groups (ACT, CBT and TAU) in a 1:1:1 ratio. ACT group therapy will be conducted once a week for 8 weeks in the ACT group, while CBT group therapy once a week for 8 weeks will be carried out in the CBT group. During baseline assessment (T0), the demographic and clinical characteristics, the Chinese versions of the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7), the Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships (PAIR), the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS), the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF), and the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II) will be administered to all participants. The re-administration of the BDI-II, GAD-7, PAIR, DAS, WHOQOL-BREF and AAQ-II will be carried out at T1, T2, and T3.
Meets DSM-5-TR diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder, confirmed by t... [+4]
Current diagnosis of symptomatic bipolar mood disorder or psychotic disorder whi... [+4]