Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as a self-help intervention.

This study will evaluate a self-help book based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for adults with mild to moderate depression or anxiety. The participants will get email counseling. The effects on depression, anxiety and mental health will be examined in a randomized controlled trial.

The main hypothesis is that a preventive self-help intervention based on ACT for adults with mild to moderate distress leads to a decrease in psychological distress (depression and anxiety), fatigue and an increase in psychological flexibility and mental health, compared with a wait list group.

Experimental condition: The participants will be asked to complete measurements at baseline (T0), three weeks and six weeks after starting with the intervention (T1, T2), directly after the intervention (9 weeks) (T3) and three months after the intervention (T4).



Control condition: The participants will be asked to complete measurements at baseline (T0), directly after the intervention (9 weeks) (T3) and three months after the intervention (T4).

1. Experimental condition: The self-help intervention “Living to the fullest” with process monitoring by a counselor with e-mail contact.
The intervention is a self-help book that consist of 9 modules. The intervention is based on six core processes of ACT for creating more psychological flexibility and is based on mindfulness exercises;

2. Experimental condition: The self-help intervention with process monitoring and personal support by a counselor with e-mail contact;

3. Control condition: A waitlist group, the participants receive the self-help intervention after three months.