Purpose of review: Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is one of the several psychotherapies that have been described as 'third wave' cognitive behavioral therapies (CBTs). The present editorial review examines the current status of ACT with a focus on previous reviews, a meta-analysis and new studies that have been published between January 2006 and August 2008.
Recent findings: Recent studies on ACT suggest that ACT may be effective for a variety of disorders, including several anxiety disorders, depression, pain, trichotillomania, psychotic disorder, drug abuse and the management of epilepsy and diabetes.
Summary: The available evidence suggests that ACT works through different processes than active treatment comparisons, including traditional CBT. Although currently available data are promising, there is, however, a need for more well controlled studies to verify whether ACT is generally as or more effective than other active treatments across the range of problems examined.