Comparing the Effectiveness of Intensive Short-Term Psychodynamic Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Empathy in Adolescents with High-Risk Behaviors
Downloads
Objective: This study compared the effectiveness of intensive short-term psychodynamic therapy (ISTDP) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) in improving empathy among adolescents with high-risk behaviors.
Methods and Materials: A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control-group design with a two-month follow-up was used. The final sample comprised 48 male ninth-grade adolescents referred to Tehran Department of Education counseling centers during the 2024-2025 academic year. Participants were selected purposively and randomly assigned to ISTDP, ACT, and control groups (n = 16 each). Screening and outcome assessment used the Iranian Adolescents Risk-Taking Scale and the Empathy Quotient. ISTDP was delivered in 15 sessions and ACT in eight weekly sessions. Data were analyzed using mixed analysis of variance and Bonferroni pairwise comparisons in SPSS version 26.
Findings: Empathy scores increased in both intervention groups and remained largely unchanged in the control group. The time × group interaction was significant, F(2.66, 50.48) = 4.55, p = .01, η² = .19, and the between-group effect was significant, F(2, 38.002) = 4.95, p = .01, η² = .21. Pairwise comparisons showed significant differences between each treatment group and the control group, and ACT showed a significant advantage over ISTDP at follow-up (p = .02).
Conclusion: Both ISTDP and ACT were associated with improved empathy in adolescents with high-risk behaviors. The pattern of follow-up scores suggests a more pronounced sustained improvement following ACT, although the small, purposively selected sample warrants cautious interpretation.
Downloads
Abbass, A. A., Town, J., & Driessen, E. (2012). Intensive short-term dynamic psychotherapy: A systematic review and meta-analysis of outcome research. Harvard Review of Psychiatry, 20(2), 97-108. https://doi.org/10.3109/10673229.2012.677347
Abbass, A. A., Rabung, S., Leichsenring, F., Refseth, J. S., & Midgley, N. (2013). Psychodynamic psychotherapy for children and adolescents: A meta-analysis of short-term psychodynamic models. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 52(8), 863-875. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2013.05.014
Abolghasemi, A. (2010). The reliability and validation of the Empathy Quotient Scale for high school students. Quarterly Journal of Psychological Studies, 5(4), 9-28. https://www.magiran.com/paper/713741
Baron-Cohen, S., & Wheelwright, S. (2004). The Empathy Quotient: An investigation of adults with Asperger syndrome or high functioning autism, and normal sex differences. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 34(2), 163-175. https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JADD.0000022607.19833.00
Bernal-Manrique, K. N., García-Martín, M. B., & Ruiz, F. J. (2020). Effect of acceptance and commitment therapy in improving interpersonal skills in adolescents: A randomized waitlist control trial. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 17, 86-94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2020.06.008
Beyranvand, N., Kazemi, A. S., & Shokri, O. (2025). Comparison of the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy and mindfulness therapy on the tendency toward risky behaviors and life orientation among adolescents in conflict with parents. International Journal of Body, Mind and Culture, 12(3), 112-118. https://doi.org/10.61838/ijbmc.v12i3.856
Cuff, B. M. P., Brown, S. J., Taylor, L., & Howat, D. J. (2016). Empathy: A review of the concept. Emotion Review, 8(2), 144-153. https://doi.org/10.1177/1754073914558466
Davanloo, H. (1990). Unlocking the unconscious: Selected papers of Habib Davanloo. Wiley. https://books.google.com/books?id=dS-UQgAACAAJ
Genç, M., Bilgin, H., & Yavuz, K. F. (2026). Effects of acceptance and commitment therapy-based intervention on psychological flexibility, empathy, and anger in adolescents involved in crime. BMC Psychology, 14(1), 466. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-04239-5
Hayes, S. C., Strosahl, K. D., & Wilson, K. G. (2011). Acceptance and commitment therapy: The process and practice of mindful change (2nd ed.). Guilford Press. https://www.guilford.com/books/Acceptance-and-Commitment-Therapy/Hayes-Strosahl-Wilson/9781462528943
López-Pinar, C., Lara-Merín, L., & Macías, J. (2025). Process of change and efficacy of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for anxiety and depression symptoms in adolescents: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Affective Disorders, 368, 633-644. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2024.09.076
Midgley, N., Mortimer, R., Cirasola, A., Batra, P., & Kennedy, E. (2021). The evidence-base for psychodynamic psychotherapy with children and adolescents: A narrative synthesis. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 662671. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.662671
Nakhaeimoghadam, R., Sayyad Haghshomar, M., Shahreki, F., & Daneshpajouh Reygi, E. (2026). Effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy on loneliness, self-efficacy, and perceived social rejection in adolescents. International Journal of Body, Mind and Culture, 13(3). https://doi.org/10.61838/ijbmc.v13i3.656
Petersen, J. M., Zurita Ona, P., & Twohig, M. P. (2024). A review of acceptance and commitment therapy for adolescents: Developmental and contextual considerations. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 31(1), 72-89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpra.2022.08.002
Vachon, D. D., Lynam, D. R., & Johnson, J. A. (2014). The (non)relation between empathy and aggression: Surprising results from a meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 140(3), 751-773. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0035236
Willoughby, T., Heffer, T., Good, M., & Magnacca, C. (2021). Is adolescence a time of heightened risk taking? An overview of types of risk-taking behaviors across age groups. Developmental Review, 61, 100980. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2021.100980
Zadeh-Mohammadi, A., Ahmadabadi, Z., & Heidari, M. (2011). Construction and assessment of psychometric features of Iranian Adolescents Risk-Taking Scale. Iranian Journal of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology, 17(3), 218-225. http://ijpcp.iums.ac.ir/article-1-1417-fa.html
Copyright (c) 2025 International Journal of Body, Mind and Culture
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
