PerfectionismNCT06057740
ACT and CBT Bibliotherapy for Perfectionism
A study testing Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in people with Perfectionism, run by Utah State University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to test self-help books for adults with perfectionism. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Are the self-help books (ACT and CBT) effective, compared to a waitlist control condition? 2. What are the processes of change for perfectionism in ACT vs. CBT bibliotherapy? 3. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Perfectionism
- What is being tested?
- Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 120 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 12 Sep 2023to 1 Sep 2025
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- an adult (18 years and older) student at the university
- the ability to understand and read English
- access to the university's online library resources
- endorse high perfectionism (29 or more on the concerns over mistakes Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Subscale)
Who cannot join
- N/A
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Utah State University
Logan, Utah, 84321
Michael P Twohig, PhD, 435-265-8933, michael.twohig@usu.edu
Emily M Bowers, BS, 385-501-3270, emily.bowers@usu.edu
About this study
Official title: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Self-Help Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Perfectionism
The goal of this clinical trial is to test self-help books for adults with perfectionism. The main questions it aims to answer are:
- Are the self-help books (ACT and CBT) effective, compared to a waitlist control condition?
- What are the processes of change for perfectionism in ACT vs. CBT bibliotherapy?
- Do the self-help books (ACT and CBT) affect change in general distress, well-being, and affect?
- Is bibliotherapy an acceptable and feasible intervention for perfectionism?
Read more
Participants will be randomized into either the ACT self-help condition, CBT self-help condition, or waitlist control condition:
- Participants in both intervention conditions will be asked to read the respective self-help book over the course of 10 weeks and complete 4 surveys over 3.5 months.
- Participants in the waitlist condition will be asked to complete 4 surveys over 3.5 months, and will receive access to both self-help books once the study is complete.
Read the detailed description
Perfectionism is a multidimensional construct where individuals develop unrealistically high standards and attribute self-value to meeting these expectations. Perfectionism has also been shown to be a risk and a maintenance factor for a range of psychological difficulties such as depression, social anxiety, eating disorders, and obsessive-compulsive related disorders (Limburg et al., 2017). Furthermore, the prevalence of perfectionism is increasing in undergraduate students according to a recent meta-analysis (Curran \& Hill, 2019), highlighting the need to expand accessible treatment options. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) have both demonstrated clinical effectiveness in targeting unhelpful perfectionism, but it is unclear how effective these psychotherapies are at decreasing perfectionism when applied in a bibliotherapy format.
The present study aims to assess the feasibility and efficacy of ACT and CBT self-help books for perfectionism over a 10-week intervention period and one month follow-up assessment, in comparison to a waitlist control condition. Additionally, this study will examine the impact of bibliotherapies on processes of change (i.e., psychological acceptance and cognitive reappraisal) as well as general distress, well-being, and affect. Participants will be adult students recruited from two universities in the mountain and midwestern regions of the United States and participants will complete self-report assessments at pre-, mid-, post-intervention, and follow-up. For the primary aim evaluating efficacy, we predict both ACT (The Anxious Perfectionist) and CBT (When Perfect Isn't Good Enough by Martin Antony) self-help books will decrease unhelpful perfectionism from pre-intervention to follow-up, in comparison to a waitlist control group. For the secondary aim evaluating processes of change, we predict that (1) ACT will increase psychological flexibility more than CBT, and (2) CBT will increase cognitive reappraisal more than ACT, from pre-intervention to follow-up. For our third aim evaluating changes in distress, well-being, and affect, we predict that (1) both ACT and CBT will decrease distress and general negative affect, and (2) ACT will outperform CBT on increases in well-being and general positive affect from pre-treatment to follow-up. For our fourth aim assessing bibliotherapy acceptability and feasibility, we predict no differences between adherence and satisfaction ratings between the ACT and CBT reading conditions.
- Conditions
- Perfectionism
- Being tested
- Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Keywords
- Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), Bibliotherapy
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)Behavioural
ACT is a psychological intervention that aims to improve psychological flexibility, the ability to hold thoughts and emotions lightly in a given context and pursue valued ends (Hayes et al., 1999; Twohig \& Levin, 2017).
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)Behavioural
CBT is a psychological intervention which targets cognitions and behaviors in attempt to change emotions.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| ACT Bibliotherapy | Experimental | Participants will read 10 chapters (140 pages) of The Anxious Perfectionist by Clarissa Ong and Michael Twohig over the course of 10 weeks. Receives: Behavioral: Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) |
| CBT Bibliotherapy | Experimental | Participants will read 8 chapters (149 pages) of When Perfect Isn't Good Enough by Martin Antony over the course of 10 weeks. Receives: Behavioral: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) |
| Waitlist Control | No intervention | Waitlist condition; assessment only |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale-Brief (FMPS-Brief)
The Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale-Brief (FMPS-Brief) is an 8-item self-report measure assessing perfectionism with two sub-scales: evaluative concerns and striving. Total scores range from 8 to 40, where higher scores indicate higher perfectionism.
Measured: 14 weeks
Secondary outcomes (5)
Acceptance and Action Questionnaire 3 (AAQ-3)
The Acceptance and Action Questionnaire 3 (AAQ-3) is a 7-item self-report measure assessing psychological inflexibility. Total AAQ-3 scores range from 7 to 49, where higher scores indicate greater psychological inflexibility.
Measured: 14 weeks
Emotion Regulation Questionnaire - Cognitive Reappraisal Subscale (ERQ-CR)
The Emotion Regulation Questionnaire - Cognitive Reappraisal Subscale (ERQ-CR) a 5-item self-report measure assessing use of cognitive reappraisal as an emotional regulation strategy. Total ERQ-CR scores are averaged and range from 0 to 7, with higher scores indicating greater use of cognitive reappraisal.
Measured: 14 weeks
Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21)
The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) is a 21-item self-report measure that assess general distress with three sub-scales: depression, anxiety, and stress. Sum scores are calculated by adding the subscale items and multiplying by two, so total scores range from 0 to 120, with higher scores indicating more distress.
Measured: 14 weeks
Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF)
The Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF) is a 14-item self-report measure assessing emotional, social, and psychological well-being. Total scores range from 0 to 70 where high score indicate greater levels of positive well-being.
Measured: 14 weeks
Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS)
The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) is a 20-item self-report measure assessing state affect with 10 positive affect (e.g., attentive, active, alert, excited, enthusiastic, determined, inspired, proud, interested, and strong) and 10 negative affect (e.g., hostile, irritable, ashamed, guilty, distressed, upset, scared, afraid, jittery, nervous) items. Total scores are calculated separately for positive and negative affect subscales, both range from 10 to 50 where higher scores indicate higher affect.
Measured: 14 weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted28 Sep 2023
- Study start12 Sep 2023
- Primary completion1 Sep 2025 (estimated)
- Study completion1 Sep 2025 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for PerfectionismStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 120 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Utah State University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06057740
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 13518
- Status last verified
- Sep 2023
- First submitted
- 25 Aug 2023
- Last updated
- 28 Sep 2023
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 28 Sep 2023. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- A Randomized Controlled Trial of Self-Help Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Perfectionism
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06057740
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 13518
- Conditions
- Perfectionism
- Keywords
- Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), Bibliotherapy
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Unknown status
- Enrolment
- 120 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Utah State UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 12 Sep 2023 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Sep 2025 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 1 Sep 2025 (estimated)
- First posted
- 28 Sep 2023 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The goal of this clinical trial is to test self-help books for adults with perfectionism. The main questions it aims to answer are:
- Are the self-help books (ACT and CBT) effective, compared to a waitlist control condition?
- What are the processes of change for perfectionism in ACT vs. CBT bibliotherapy?
- Do the self-help books (ACT and CBT) affect change in general distress, well-being, and affect?
- Is bibliotherapy an acceptable and feasible intervention for perfectionism?
Participants will be randomized into either the ACT self-help condition, CBT self-help condition, or waitlist control condition:
- Participants in both intervention conditions will be asked to read the respective self-help book over the course of 10 weeks and complete 4 surveys over 3.5 months.
- Participants in the waitlist condition will be asked to complete 4 surveys over 3.5 months, and will receive access to both self-help books once the study is complete.
Detailed description
Perfectionism is a multidimensional construct where individuals develop unrealistically high standards and attribute self-value to meeting these expectations. Perfectionism has also been shown to be a risk and a maintenance factor for a range of psychological difficulties such as depression, social anxiety, eating disorders, and obsessive-compulsive related disorders (Limburg et al., 2017). Furthermore, the prevalence of perfectionism is increasing in undergraduate students according to a recent meta-analysis (Curran \& Hill, 2019), highlighting the need to expand accessible treatment options. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) have both demonstrated clinical effectiveness in targeting unhelpful perfectionism, but it is unclear how effective these psychotherapies are at decreasing perfectionism when applied in a bibliotherapy format.
The present study aims to assess the feasibility and efficacy of ACT and CBT self-help books for perfectionism over a 10-week intervention period and one month follow-up assessment, in comparison to a waitlist control condition. Additionally, this study will examine the impact of bibliotherapies on processes of change (i.e., psychological acceptance and cognitive reappraisal) as well as general distress, well-being, and affect. Participants will be adult students recruited from two universities in the mountain and midwestern regions of the United States and participants will complete self-report assessments at pre-, mid-, post-intervention, and follow-up. For the primary aim evaluating efficacy, we predict both ACT (The Anxious Perfectionist) and CBT (When Perfect Isn't Good Enough by Martin Antony) self-help books will decrease unhelpful perfectionism from pre-intervention to follow-up, in comparison to a waitlist control group. For the secondary aim evaluating processes of change, we predict that (1) ACT will increase psychological flexibility more than CBT, and (2) CBT will increase cognitive reappraisal more than ACT, from pre-intervention to follow-up. For our third aim evaluating changes in distress, well-being, and affect, we predict that (1) both ACT and CBT will decrease distress and general negative affect, and (2) ACT will outperform CBT on increases in well-being and general positive affect from pre-treatment to follow-up. For our fourth aim assessing bibliotherapy acceptability and feasibility, we predict no differences between adherence and satisfaction ratings between the ACT and CBT reading conditions.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 3
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| ACT Bibliotherapy | Experimental | Behavioral: Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)Participants will read 10 chapters (140 pages) of The Anxious Perfectionist by Clarissa Ong and Michael Twohig over the course of 10 weeks. |
| CBT Bibliotherapy | Experimental | Behavioral: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)Participants will read 8 chapters (149 pages) of When Perfect Isn't Good Enough by Martin Antony over the course of 10 weeks. |
| Waitlist Control | No intervention | –Waitlist condition; assessment only |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- an adult (18 years and older) student at the university
- the ability to understand and read English
- access to the university's online library resources
- endorse high perfectionism (29 or more on the concerns over mistakes Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Subscale)
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- N/A
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)ACT is a psychological intervention that aims to improve psychological flexibility, the ability to hold thoughts and emotions lightly in a given context and pursue valued ends (Hayes et al., 1999; Twohig \& Levin, 2017). | Behavioural | ACT Bibliotherapy |
| Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)CBT is a psychological intervention which targets cognitions and behaviors in attempt to change emotions. | Behavioural | CBT Bibliotherapy |
Primary outcome
Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale-Brief (FMPS-Brief)
Time frame: 14 weeks
The Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale-Brief (FMPS-Brief) is an 8-item self-report measure assessing perfectionism with two sub-scales: evaluative concerns and striving. Total scores range from 8 to 40, where higher scores indicate higher perfectionism.
5 secondary outcomes
Acceptance and Action Questionnaire 3 (AAQ-3)
Time frame: 14 weeks
Emotion Regulation Questionnaire - Cognitive Reappraisal Subscale (ERQ-CR)
Time frame: 14 weeks
Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21)
Time frame: 14 weeks
Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF)
Time frame: 14 weeks
Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS)
Time frame: 14 weeks
Results and safety
Results are not available in the source record.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 28 Sep 2023.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in people with Perfectionism, run by Utah State University at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: status not confirmed, as of the sponsor's last update on 28 Sep 2023. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
Results are not available in the source record.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Each site lists its own contact: choose the nearest one under Trial locations. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale-Brief (FMPS-Brief) (time frame: 14 weeks). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 28 Sep 2023.