Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for problematic chemsex: a pilot feasibility study

Abstract

Despite the emerging literature on chemsex practices and its effects on health, a specialized psychological treatment approach for people suffering from physical and mental health consequences associated with this phenomenon has not yet been established. This study follows a single-site, single-arm pilot feasibility study of an online group Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) protocol. Five cisgender gay men (24–48 years) actively engaged in chemsex and reporting clinically significant distress completed eight weekly sessions and a 3-month follow-up.