title: A case study: Acceptance and commitment therapy for pediatric sickle cell disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Sickle cell disease (SCD) negatively impacts patients' functioning and quality of life. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) promotes acceptance of difficult sensations, emotions, and thoughts when doing so facilitates living a values-based life. This study describes ACT for improving functioning and quality of life for an adolescent with SCD and his parents.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 16-year old with SCD and his parents attended an eight-session ACT program. Process (adolescent psychological flexibility, parent acceptance) and outcome (adolescent social anxiety, pain, functioning, quality of life; parent distress) measures were conducted prior to and following treatment and at 3-month follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Improvements were evident, especially at follow-up. Process measures suggest adolescent psychological flexibility and parent acceptance might explain positive effects. Anecdotal comments support these findings and provide additional evidence that ACT might effectively promote functioning and quality of life in adolescents with chronic diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA.
authors.forename: Akihiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Masuda
authors.forename: Lindsey L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Rikard K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Wicksell
authors.forename: Mike K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Kemani
authors.forename: Alcuin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome