AnxietyNCT07256093
The Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on Dysfunctional Attitudes and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Among University Students in Malaysia
A study testing Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in people with Anxiety and Depression, run by Universiti Sains Malaysia at 1 site in Malaysia.
Trial summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can reduce dysfunctional attitudes and difficulties in emotion regulation among university students in Malaysia.The main questions it aims to answer are: Will participants who receive ACT show statistically significant reduction in… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 32 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Anxiety, Depression, Stress
- What is being tested?
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 32 participants
- Where
- 1 siteMalaysia
- Study dates
- 10 Feb 2025to 25 Apr 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 to 32 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Malaysian citizens
- currently enrolled as a university student
- be proficient in both Malay and English languages
- aged between 18 and 32 years old
- reported mild to moderate depression, anxiety, and/or stress levels according to the DASS-21
Who cannot join
- reported severe depression, anxiety, and/or stress on the DASS-21
- expected to graduate before study ends
- had been diagnosed with any psychological disorder prior to the study
- were currently receiving psychotherapeutic medication and/or psychological interventions.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: The Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on Dysfunctional Attitudes and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Among University Students in Malaysia.
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can reduce dysfunctional attitudes and difficulties in emotion regulation among university students in Malaysia.The main questions it aims to answer are:
- Will participants who receive ACT show statistically significant reduction in dysfunctional attitudes scores compared to those in the control group?
- Will participants who receive ACT show statistically significant reduction in difficulties in emotion regulation scores compared to those in the control group?
- Will participants who receive ACT show statistically significant reduction in dysfunctional attitudes scores from pre-test to intermediate-test and from pre-test to post-test?
- Will participants who receive ACT show statistically significant reduction in difficulties in emotion regulation scores from pre-test to intermediate test and from pre-test to post-test?
Read more
Researchers will compare ACT group to a waitlist control group to see if ACT work to reduce dysfunctional attitudes and difficulties in emotion regulation.
Participants in the ACT group will
- attend six weekly individual sessions of ACT intervention (1 hour per session) conducted online
- complete the outcome measures at three different time points (week 1, week 3, and week 6)
Meanwhile, participants in the waitlist control group
- will not receive any intervention during the data collection period
- will be asked to complete same outcome measures at three different time points (week 1, week 3, and week 6)
- Conditions
- Anxiety, Depression, Stress
- Being tested
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Medical subject headings
- Anxiety Disorders, Depression
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Other
Six sessions of ACT were conducted
Session 1:
Introduction. Theme: Broaden your horizon. Values and value-based actions. Identifying what matters the most in your life and acting accordingly.
Session 2: Theme: Present moment. Mindfully notice your internal and external experiences, notice the movement of your breath. Live in the present moment. To address difficulties in emotion regulation.
Session 3: Theme: Cognitive defusion. The power of thoughts. Identify your unwanted thoughts and emotions and learn to describe, name, and welcome them. To address dysfunctional attitudes.
Session 4: Theme: The observer's stance. Learn to view your thoughts and emotions from an observer's stance. To address difficulties in emotion regulation.
Session 5: Theme: Toward an attitude of acceptance. Let go of your struggle and learn acceptance towards your wakefulness and unwanted thoughts. To address dysfunctional attitudes.
Session 6: Theme: Summary of the programme. Plans committed action.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| ACT Intervention Group | Experimental | Participants in the intervention group attended six weekly individual sessions of ACT intervention (1 hour per session) conducted online via the Webex platform. Receives: Other: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) |
| Waitlist Control Group | No intervention | Participants in the control group were placed on a waitlist and completed the same outcome measures at three different time points (week 1, week 3, and week 6). After the completion of data collection, they were then divided into two groups and attended two group sessions of ACT (1.5 hours per session), each covering three of the six ACT main components. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Difficulties in Emotion Regulation
It is measured as the total score on the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale-18 Malay, where a higher score indicates a greater degree of difficulties in emotion regulation.
Measured: Baseline, Week 3, and Week 6
Dysfunctional Attitudes
It is measured as the total score on the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale-Malay, where a higher score indicates a greater degree of dysfunctional attitude.
Measured: Baseline, Week 3, and Week 6
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted1 Dec 2025
- Study start10 Feb 2025
- Primary completion20 Mar 2025
- Study completion25 Apr 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for AnxietyStudies 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
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 32 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Universiti Sains Malaysia
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Wei Jun Tan, Universiti Sains Malaysia
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07256093
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- USM/JEPeM/KK/24080672
- Status last verified
- Oct 2025
- First submitted
- 19 Nov 2025
- Last updated
- 30 Apr 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 30 Apr 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on Dysfunctional Attitudes and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Among University Students in Malaysia.
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07256093
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- USM/JEPeM/KK/24080672
- Conditions
- Anxiety, Depression, Stress
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 32 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Universiti Sains MalaysiaUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 10 Feb 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 20 Mar 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 25 Apr 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 1 Dec 2025 (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 learn if Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can reduce dysfunctional attitudes and difficulties in emotion regulation among university students in Malaysia.The main questions it aims to answer are:
- Will participants who receive ACT show statistically significant reduction in dysfunctional attitudes scores compared to those in the control group?
- Will participants who receive ACT show statistically significant reduction in difficulties in emotion regulation scores compared to those in the control group?
- Will participants who receive ACT show statistically significant reduction in dysfunctional attitudes scores from pre-test to intermediate-test and from pre-test to post-test?
- Will participants who receive ACT show statistically significant reduction in difficulties in emotion regulation scores from pre-test to intermediate test and from pre-test to post-test?
Researchers will compare ACT group to a waitlist control group to see if ACT work to reduce dysfunctional attitudes and difficulties in emotion regulation.
Participants in the ACT group will
- attend six weekly individual sessions of ACT intervention (1 hour per session) conducted online
- complete the outcome measures at three different time points (week 1, week 3, and week 6)
Meanwhile, participants in the waitlist control group
- will not receive any intervention during the data collection period
- will be asked to complete same outcome measures at three different time points (week 1, week 3, and week 6)
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| ACT Intervention Group | Experimental | Other: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Participants in the intervention group attended six weekly individual sessions of ACT intervention (1 hour per session) conducted online via the Webex platform. |
| Waitlist Control Group | No intervention | –Participants in the control group were placed on a waitlist and completed the same outcome measures at three different time points (week 1, week 3, and week 6). After the completion of data collection, they were then divided into two groups and attended two group sessions of ACT (1.5 hours per session), each covering three of the six ACT main components. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 32 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Malaysian citizens
- currently enrolled as a university student
- be proficient in both Malay and English languages
- aged between 18 and 32 years old
- reported mild to moderate depression, anxiety, and/or stress levels according to the DASS-21
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- reported severe depression, anxiety, and/or stress on the DASS-21
- expected to graduate before study ends
- had been diagnosed with any psychological disorder prior to the study
- were currently receiving psychotherapeutic medication and/or psychological interventions.
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)Six sessions of ACT were conducted Session 1: Introduction. Theme: Broaden your horizon. Values and value-based actions. Identifying what matters the most in your life and acting accordingly. Session 2: Theme: Present moment. Mindfully notice your internal and external experiences, notice the movement of your breath. Live in the present moment. To address difficulties in emotion regulation. Session 3: Theme: Cognitive defusion. The power of thoughts. Identify your unwanted thoughts and emotions and learn to describe, name, and welcome them. To address dysfunctional attitudes. Session 4: Theme: The observer's stance. Learn to view your thoughts and emotions from an observer's stance. To address difficulties in emotion regulation. Session 5: Theme: Toward an attitude of acceptance. Let go of your struggle and learn acceptance towards your wakefulness and unwanted thoughts. To address dysfunctional attitudes. Session 6: Theme: Summary of the programme. Plans committed action. | Other | ACT Intervention Group |
Primary outcome
Difficulties in Emotion Regulation
Time frame: Baseline, Week 3, and Week 6
It is measured as the total score on the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale-18 Malay, where a higher score indicates a greater degree of difficulties in emotion regulation.
Dysfunctional Attitudes
Time frame: Baseline, Week 3, and Week 6
It is measured as the total score on the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale-Malay, where a higher score indicates a greater degree of dysfunctional attitude.
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 30 Apr 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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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.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
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) in people with Anxiety and Depression, run by Universiti Sains Malaysia at 1 site in Malaysia.
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 5 inclusion and 4 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: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 30 Apr 2026. 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 Malaysia. 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?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Difficulties in Emotion Regulation (time frame: Baseline, Week 3, and Week 6). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. 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 30 Apr 2026.