Publication: The effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on dysfunctional attitudes and difficulties in emotion regulation among University students in Malaysia
| dc.contributor.author | Jun, Tan Wei | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-03-11T04:11:18Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-03-11T04:11:18Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2025 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Depression, anxiety, and stress are common psychological difficulties reported among university students in Malaysia, with dysfunctional attitudes and difficulties in emotion regulation often underlying these conditions. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), a third-wave cognitive behavioural intervention, has demonstrated effectiveness across various psychological disorders by enhancing psychological flexibility. However, research examining its impact on dysfunctional attitudes and emotion regulation among Malaysian university students remains limited. This study adopts a single-blinded, randomised controlled trial design involving 28 university students experiencing mild to moderate depression, anxiety, and/or stress. Participants were randomly assigned to either an ACT intervention group (n = 14) or a waitlist control group (n = 14). The ACT group attended six weekly online intervention sessions based on an adapted ACT protocol, whereas, the control group received no intervention during the study period. The Malay version of the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS-Malay) and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS-18-M) were administered at three time points: pre-test, intermediate, post-test. Mixed ANOVA results indicated a statistically significant interaction effect between group and time for both dysfunctional attitudes (F (2, 52) = 14.32, p <.001, partial η² = .355), and difficulties in emotion regulation (F (2, 52) = 9.22, p <.001, partial η² = .262). Post hoc tests showed that while no significant changes were observed from pre-test to intermediate test, statistically significant reductions were found to pre-test to post-test and from intermediate test to post-test in the ACT group. These findings provide empirical support for the effectiveness of ACT in addressing cognitive and emotional inflexibility in university students. The nonconfrontational nature of the intervention and online delivery format were well-received,suggesting both cultural appropriateness and practical feasibility within the Malaysian context. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://erepo.usm.my/handle/123456789/23774 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.subject | acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) | |
| dc.title | The effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on dysfunctional attitudes and difficulties in emotion regulation among University students in Malaysia | |
| dc.type | Resource Types::text::thesis::master thesis | |
| dspace.entity.type | Publication | |
| oairecerif.author.affiliation | Universiti Sains Malaysia |