A randomised trial to evaluate the effectiveness of an Islamic psychospiritual ACT-based prevention program for at-risk young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abdul Khaiyom, Jamilah Hanum and Abdul Aziz, Amani Fadzlina and Md Rosli, Ahmad Nabil and Bahari, Che Amnah and Abdullah, Nur Sakinah Thomas (2021) A randomised trial to evaluate the effectiveness of an Islamic psychospiritual ACT-based prevention program for at-risk young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. In: International Conference on Islamic Spiritual Care 2021, 27th - 28th November 2021, Online. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

Objective: With rising psychological concerns amidst the pandemic, efforts are needed to preserve the mental health of at-risk populations. The present study examined the effectiveness of i-ACT for LifeTM, an Islamic psychospiritual Acceptance and Commitment Therapy-based prevention program to reduce psychological distress in at-risk young adults in Malaysia during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: The study was preregistered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04870385). Purposive sampling was used to recruit university students studying in Malaysia (n=93, 78% female) aged 18-29 years old. The adapted WHO ACT-based module with the elements of Islamic spirituality was used. The prevention program consists of five weekly modules (Grounding, Unhooking, Acting on Values, Being Kind, and Making Room). Each corresponded to an ACT core process and was supplemented with Qur’ānic verses, Hadīth, religious/spiritual activities, and spiritual-relevant poems. The program was designed for delivery through web-based instant messaging platforms. Participants were randomized to either receive the prevention program (n=46) or be waitlisted (n=47), and were asked to complete assessments at pre-intervention, mid-intervention, post-intervention, and 1-month follow-up. The outcome assessed were anxiety, stress, depression, self-compassion, psychological flexibility, and resilience. Results: Intention-to-treat analyses using Last Observation Carried Forward reported significant between-group effects at post-intervention and follow-up (p<.05), and a significant overall effect of time across the four-time points (p<.001), for all the outcome measures. Observations on participants' reflections of the Islamic spirituality elements are generally positive. Conclusions: Findings suggest that the i-ACT for LifeTM web-based prevention programs effectively preserve the mental health of Muslim young adults in Malaysia during the pandemic. The program was also found to support the integration of Islamic spiritual elements into traditional cognitive-behavioural and mindfulness techniques in improving the acceptability of mental health interventions. Future studies are encouraged to examine the module's effectiveness among different populations.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Slide Presentation)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	COVID-19, Islamic psychospiritual intervention, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Prevention program, Psychological distress
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology > BF636 Applied psychology B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BL Religion B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BP Islam. Bahaism. Theosophy, etc B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BP Islam. Bahaism. Theosophy, etc > BP134.S3 Quran and Science R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA644.3 Chronic and Noninfectious Diseases and Public Health R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA790 Mental Health. Mental Illness Prevention
Kulliyyahs/Centres/Divisions/Institutes (Can select more than one option. Press CONTROL button):	Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences > Department of Psychology
Depositing User:	Dr Jamilah Hanum Abdul Khaiyom
Date Deposited:	05 Jan 2022 12:37
Last Modified:	05 Jan 2022 12:37
URI:	http://irep.iium.edu.my/id/eprint/95938

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