Our work spans multiple areas and projects, including:
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for addressing challenges experienced by adults with cancer
Valued Living Study for Metastatic Cancer Patients:
This is a 5-year randomized controlled trial of ACT for metastatic cancer patients experiencing anxiety and depression funded by the National Institute for Nursing Research at NIH, conducted at cancer care sites throughout Colorado. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an online, multi-modal (live group and self-paced online modules) ACT-based intervention to address the psychological impacts of living with metastatic cancer and support engagement in advance care planning.
REACH Study:
This is a recently completed 2-year pilot randomized controlled trial of an online ACT-based intervention to promote medication adherence among recent hormone-receptor positive breast cancer survivors funded by the National Cancer Institute at NIH, in collaboration with community-based cancer care centers throughout Colorado.
REVITALIZE Study:
This recently completed 2-year pilot randomized controlled trial of a telehealth ACT-based intervention to improve fatigue outcomes among women with late-stage ovarian cancer prescribed PARP inhibitors (a breakthrough medication that can cause enduring fatigue) funded as an MPI grant by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network and AstraZeneca, in collaboration with Alexi Wright, MD, and Hanneke Poort, PhD, of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.
Studying exposure therapy
We also remain interested in adapting exposure therapy to address anxiety and trauma-related symptoms in new populations and using disseminable delivery modalities. various populations, we have also studied how various ways of framing exposure therapy (from ACT, traditional CBT, and inhibitory learning perspectives) impacts its credibility and people’s willingness to consider using it.
EASE Study:
This open treatment development, refinement, and preliminary testing pilot trial develops and evaluates a written exposure-based intervention for anxious and depressed adults with late-stage cancer and significant cancer-related trauma symptoms or fear of progression. This study was funded by a competitive pilot grant from the University of Colorado Cancer Center.
International Exposure Therapy Consortium Study on Group Exposure Therapy for Anxiety Sensitivity:
Please refer to the detailed description at https://exposure.la.utexas.edu/research/projects/project-1
The impact of mindfulness and self-compassion on stress responding and anxiety
Across clinical trials as well as basic laboratory studies, we are interested in the relationships between mindfulness, self-compassion, and affective experience. Prevous work examined the biopsychological impact of brief self-compassion and mindfulness interventions on reducing anxiety and stress reactivity and increasing well-being. An ongoing graduate student-led trial evaluates the effects of using self-compassion training to enhance group exposure for socially anxious young adults.
Mindfulness and acceptance-based treatments for anxiety
In several randomized clinical trials for the treatment of anxiety disorders, we have compared mindfulness and acceptance-based interventions (such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy [ACT] and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) to traditional cognitive behavioral therapy. This line of research seeks to rigorously evaluate the utility of mindfulness and acceptance-based interventions relative to the current gold standard of cognitive behavioral therapy. We also aim to understand potentially unique pathways by which such interventions operate and for whom each is most effective.
Laboratory and EMA assessments of anxiety and stress
Integrating anxiety inductions into assessment is a regular feature of our clinical trial and experimental work. Laboratory paradigms expand self-report through behavioral and experiential measures of anxiety, particularly in the context of social anxiety disorder. Our laboratory work has included the assessment of peripheral physiology and salivary and serum stress markers. We have also undertaken ecological momentary assessment (EMA) of anxiety and stress outcomes to elucidate the everyday contexts in which they are experienced.
A list of publications can be found on Dr. Arch's faculty page.