The management of aggression in third wave behavioral therapies: A systematic review

Aggressive behavior has long been a focal point of inquiry within behavioral therapies. However, there is a lack of comprehensive reviews synthesizing the efficacy of third-wave behavioral therapies in managing aggression. This study addresses this gap through a systematic review, examining the effectiveness of third-generation behavioral therapies—Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Functional Analytical Psychotherapy (FAP), and Behavioral Activation (BA)—in managing aggressive behavior among adults.

Out of 38 articles selected for full reading, only six met the criteria for inclusion in this synthesis: three employing Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) as an intervention strategy and three employing Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). Merely three of these studies were RCTs. Overall, these interventions exhibited a notable reduction in aggressive behavior during the treatment phase but failed to maintain this improvement during follow-up assessments.

This review contextualizes its findings in relation to existing systematic reviews and employs the Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies to gauge the level of evidence. The collective evidence underscores the need for additional research employing diverse intervention strategies, with the objective of establishing more robust and enduring treatments for aggressive behavior.