Efficacy of Contextual Therapies (Behavioral Activation and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in Group Format as a Transdiagnostic Intervention in Emotional Disorders.

This study aims to investigate the efficacy of three psychotherapeutic programs in group format: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Behavioral Activation (AC) and Transdiagnostic Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TD-CBT), for the treatment of emotional disorders. Considering the data of the literature and the results of previous research, it is expected that this clinical investigation shows that transdiagnostic interventions that are tested (AC, ACT, TD-CBT) cause clinical changes in the post-treatment. However, it is expected that in post-treatment and in the short and medium term follow-up, significant differences will be found between the transdiagnostic therapies examined in all outcome criteria variables; and that the greatest effectiveness and effectiveness be achieved in contextual therapies, in particular, in Behavioral Activation therapy. It is expected that the study design will allow obtaining firm evidence of the active therapeutic ingredients from the analysis of the differential efficacy of each of the psychotherapeutic programs. As a final consequence and based on the results and discussion on transdiagnostic conditions and transtherapeutic elements, it is expected to develop a unified treatment protocol (in group format -as an efficient work format and appropriate to the needs of public health services-) to be easily applied in the field of primary care. It could facilitate access to effective treatment of common mental disorders in public health services.

The present investigation has as general objectives:

1. Establish the effectiveness, effectiveness and efficiency of Behavioral Activation (AC), Acceptance and Commitment (ACT) and Transdiagnostic Cognitive-Behavioral (TD-CBT) therapy applied in group format for the treatment of emotional disorders in the context of Primary Care.
2. Analyze the differential utility and adequacy of contextual transdiagnostic therapy (AC; ACT) and cognitive behavioral therapy (TD-CBT) according to clinical conditions of the disorder, characteristics of the subjects and of the therapeutic procedure and the transdiagnostic assumptions that define them.
3. Develop a unified treatment protocol for emotional disorders for implementation in primary care.

Specific objectives are:

1. Identify patterns of psychological inflexibility (experiential avoidance; activation and cognitive fusion) and cognitive biases in people with emotional disorders (anxiety and / or depression).
2. To assess the efficacy, effectiveness and efficiency of three transdiagnostic therapies (AC, ACT, and TD-CBT) applied in group format for the treatment of emotional disorders, analyzing the evolution of the outcome criteria defined in relation to emotional state and functionality of the patients assigned to each experimental treatment condition and in relation to a waiting list condition.
3. Assess the adequacy and specificity of AC, ACT and TD-CBT in the treatment of emotional disorders according to different conditions: patient's clinical state, characteristics of the context and the therapeutic procedure defined as outcome criteria variables.
4. Identify the active therapeutic ingredients of the therapies on the results of the efficacy, effectiveness and adequacy of the interventions.
5. Develop a Unified Treatment Protocol to facilitate the implementation of an efficacious and effective intervention of emotional disorders in public health institutions, especially in the context of Primary Care.
6. Maintain a website to disseminate information to general population regarding services provided in the context of this research project and to share experiences with other professionals and researchers.