ACT for Children and Adolescents

Abstract Mental health concerns among children and adolescents are a common and growing international concern. Working with youth requires a developmental lens in order to capture the range of changes and contexts that younger populations experience. This article reviews the rationale, implementation, and research on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for youth, with a specific focus on the DNA-V (Discoverer, Noticer, Advisor, and Values) model. Discussed here are challenges (e.g., working with parents) and future directions (e.g., diverse samples, longitudinal study designs) in researching and applying ACT. Overall, significant preliminary evidence supports the use of ACT with younger populations, particularly within certain conditions (e.g., chronic pain).