# Can brief ACT help close the mental health treatment gap? A systematic review and meta-analysis of 49 randomized controlled trials - URL: https://alisanburak.com/en/wcp-2026-posterler/so359 - Language: en - Last updated: not specified - Page title: Can brief ACT help close the mental health treatment gap? A systematic review and meta-analysis of 49 randomized controlled trials | WCP 2026 Summary > ACT delivered in six sessions or fewer produces moderate reductions in depression (g = 0.56) and small-to-moderate reductions in anxiety (g = 0.42) compared wi… This page was translated automatically from Turkish. [Read the original](https://alisanburak.com/wcp-2026-posterler/so359) This page is an AI-assisted Turkish summary of the study presented at the 26th World Congress of Psychiatry. The study belongs to the presenting authors; please refer to the original source when citing it. SO359 Brief Oral Poster PresentationPsychotherapySystematic review and meta-analysis # Can brief ACT help close the mental health treatment gap? A systematic review and meta-analysis of 49 randomized controlled trials CAN BRIEF ACT HELP CLOSE THE MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT GAP? A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS OF 50 RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIALS Presenter: Lindakristin Kempe Country: France Institution: Université Côte d'Azur, LAPCOS Session: 3900 - PARALLEL SHORT ORAL POSTER SESSIONS: PUBLIC HEALTH & EPIDEMIOLOGY - Part V Date: Fri, 25.09.2026 ACT delivered in six sessions or fewer produces moderate reductions in depression (g = 0.56) and small-to-moderate reductions in anxiety (g = 0.42) compared with passive controls, but does not outperform active comparator treatments. The aim is to determine whether acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) delivered in six sessions or fewer reduces depression and anxiety amid growing demand for psychological care, and whether its effects vary by population and comparison condition. This PRISMA-compliant, PROSPERO-registered (CRD42024531152) systematic review and random-effects meta-analysis included 49 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) conducted between 2009 and 2026 across 15 countries, comprising 51 independent samples and a total of N = 4,145 participants; brief ACT was defined as up to 6 sessions and 6 hours for individual delivery, and up to 6 sessions and 12 hours for group delivery, with a median of 4 sessions and 6 hours of therapist contact; 20% of the samples received a single session, and 63% received treatment in a group format; the analysis used Hedges’ g, REML, and the Knapp–Hartung adjustment. The pooled effect size was g = 0.56 for depression (95% confidence interval, CI 0.29 to 0.84; p < 0.001; k = 41) and g = 0.42 for anxiety (95% CI 0.19 to 0.65; p = 0.001; k = 35). Effects were significant against passive controls (depression g = 0.67, p < 0.001, k = 33; anxiety g = 0.53, p < 0.001, k = 28), but not against active comparators (depression g = 0.14, p = 0.25, k = 8; anxiety g = 0.01, p = 0.96, k = 7). No subgroup differences were detected by population type (depression Qm(2) = 0.13, p = 0.937; anxiety Qm(2) = 0.03, p = 0.985); point estimates were similar across mental health, physical/medical, and nonclinical samples (0.52 to 0.65 for depression; 0.41 to 0.45 for anxiety). Heterogeneity was high (I² = 91% for depression, 86% for anxiety); the risk-of-bias assessment rated 69% of studies as having some concerns and 31% as high risk, and all findings were replicated when high-risk studies were excluded. In conclusion, brief ACT is a credible first step in stepped care that can be offered immediately to people on waiting lists; it does not replace established active treatments, as some of its superiority over passive controls reflects nonspecific factors such as contact, expectations, and structure. [View the original poster](https://cslide.ctimeetingtech.com/wcp26/attendee/eposter/file/1120) How to cite this study APA 7: Kempe, L., et al. (2026, September 25). Can brief act help close the mental health treatment gap? a systematic review and meta-analysis of 50 randomized controlled trials [Poster presentation]. 26th WPA World Congress of Psychiatry (WCP 2026), Stockholm, Sweden. https://cslide.ctimeetingtech.com/wcp26/attendee/eposter/file/1120 Vancouver: Kempe L, et al. Can brief act help close the mental health treatment gap? a systematic review and meta-analysis of 50 randomized controlled trials [poster]. 26th WPA World Congress of Psychiatry (WCP 2026); 2026 Sep 23-26; Stockholm, Sweden. 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