Meta-analysis of the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy programs for alleviating anger feelings

Objectives This study assumed that anger is the main cause of ‘abnormally motivated crime’ and focused on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) as an effective treatment method for it, and attempted to comprehensively evaluate the effect of ACT on alleviating anger through meta-analysis. Methods To this end, we used meta-analysis to select 10 studies that applied acceptance and commitment therapy programs to participants who showed difficulties in managing anger emotions, and calculated the size of the anger-reducing effect of the ACT program. Results Acceptance and Commitment Therapy was found to have a statistically significant effect on reducing ‘anger’, ‘trait anger’, ‘anger suppression’, ‘anger expression’, ‘primary anger thoughts’, and ‘secondary anger thoughts’. However, it did not show a statistically significant effect on reducing ‘state anger’ and ‘anger control’. Conclusions The results of the meta-analysis concluded that acceptance and commitment therapy is effective in alleviating anger emotions. In particular, the significance of the study lies in providing theoretical grounds for the effectiveness of approaches that increase psychological flexibility rather than controlling anger. The limitations of the study and additional suggestions were also discussed.