How acceptance and commitment therapy changed the perspective on support provision for staff working with intellectual disability

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mauro Leoni ◽  
Serafino Corti ◽  
Roberto Cavagnola ◽  
Olive Healy ◽  
Stephen J. Noone
Keyword(s):  
Acceptance And Commitment Therapy ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Third Generation ◽  
Behaviour Therapy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Commitment Therapy ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment ◽  
Cognitive Behaviour

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a review on evidence-based intervention concerning the reduction of stress/burnout and the improvement of wellbeing for professionals working with people with intellectual disabilities (IDs). Design/methodology/approach – Theoretical models and literature related to stress reduction are reviewed from a classical cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) approach up to the novel contribution of the third generation of cognitive-behavioural therapies, with a specific focus on contextual behavioural sciences and acceptance and commitment Therapy (ACT). Findings – Despite the improvement of CBT-based interventions in reducing risk factors for stress and burnout, the limitations of a problem-solving approach when applied to challenging environments like those of direct support to persons with ID, are still large. Interventions based on the core processes and the related techniques of ACT appear to be promising in promoting the well being of paid carers reducing the risk of burnout, and increasing psychological flexibility. Such factors can increase the ability to clarify personal and professional values, as well as the opportunities to act consistently with such values and achieve greater social reinforcement in the work environment. Research limitations/implications – The limitations of the existing research are presented and discussed. There are several aspects that future research should address in order to promote staff training protocols that could be extensively applied with preventive aims. Organisations could take the available procedures and methodologies and implement these evidence-based practices within existing training. Originality/value – The research on the application of ACT and third generation of behavioural approaches to the wellbeing and behaviour of staff supporting persons with IDs remains limited. The present paper is the first narrative review on this topic.

scholarly journals Evaluating a transdiagnostic acceptance and commitment therapy psychoeducation intervention

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Cartwright ◽  
Nic Hooper
Keyword(s):  
Acceptance And Commitment Therapy ◽  
Psychological Intervention ◽  
Preliminary Investigation ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Health Board ◽  
Behaviour Therapy ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Commitment Therapy ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment ◽  
Cognitive Behaviour

AbstractPsychoeducation courses have gained some empirical support as effective early intervention strategies. Many of these courses reflect traditional cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) thinking but psychoeducation courses based on other approaches are beginning to emerge. One such course, ‘ACTivate Your Life’, is based on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). The aim of this preliminary investigation is to evaluate a four-session (eight-hour) ACT psychoeducation intervention delivered within the Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University (ABMU) Health Board. Participants were invited to complete four outcome measures (assessing depression, anxiety, self-esteem and life satisfaction) and two process measures (assessing mindfulness self-efficacy and psychological flexibility) at pre- and post-intervention. Statistical analysis indicated that participants’ scores across each of the measured domains showed highly significant changes. These results suggest that a brief psychoeducation ACT course may be useful in helping people in need of early psychological intervention, and that further research is now needed to provide a definitive evaluation of its effectiveness.

Understanding and promoting students’ well-being and performance in university studies – effects of a 7-week Acceptance and Commitment Therapy based course (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henna Asikainen ◽  
Nina Katajavuori ◽  
Kirsikka Kaipainen
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
University Students ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment Therapy ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Pharmacy Students ◽  
Reflective Journal ◽  
Reflective Journals ◽  
Commitment Therapy ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment ◽  
And Performance

BACKGROUND Internationally there have been many studies showing that the number of university students suffering from mental illness is growing and this problem should be addressed OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to examine 41 pharmacy students’ experiences of a small Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) -based intervention that was implemented as a 7-week course with weekly online modules. METHODS Students’ well-being, experiences of stress, organised studying and psychological flexibility were measured with questionnaires at the beginning and end of the course. Students’ experiences of the effectiveness of the course and were analysed from open-ended responses and a reflective journal. RESULTS The results show that students’ well-being and ability to manage time and effort increased during the course(p≤0.003). In their reflective journals, students described how their ability to manage stress in their studies, cope with their thoughts and feelings, focus on the things that are more important to them, and manage their time in studying and their well-being had improved. CONCLUSIONS This study showed that it is possible to foster students’ well-being in their studies. More research is needed to identify the long-lasting effects of these kind of interventions.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): A Third Wave Behaviour Therapy

2008 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 667-673 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Cullen
Keyword(s):  
Acceptance And Commitment Therapy ◽  
Relational Frame Theory ◽  
Third Wave ◽  
Behaviour Therapy ◽  
Commitment Therapy ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment ◽  
Relational Frame ◽  
Important Relationship ◽  
History Of ◽  
Clinical Conditions

AbstractThis paper introduces Acceptance and commitment Therapy (ACT) as one of the newer contextualist behaviour therapies. A brief history of the development of ACT is outlined. The concepts of equivalence and laterality and the important relationship between Relational Frame Theory and ACT are then described. The “hexagram” summary of the six core linked processes in ACT is presented and, finally, the research evidence to support the effectiveness of ACT applied to a range of clinical conditions and client groups is summarized.

Study Protocol for Implementation of An Internet-based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Promoting Mental Health Among Migrant Live-in Caregivers in Canada (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth Po-Lun Fung ◽  
Mandana Vahabi ◽  
Masoomeh Moosapoor ◽  
Abdolreza Akbarian ◽  
Josephine Pui-Hing Wong
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment Therapy ◽  
Psychological Intervention ◽  
Self Care ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Virtual Space ◽  
Commitment Therapy ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment

BACKGROUND Psychological distress, isolation, feeling of powerlessness, and limited social support are realities faced by temporary migrant live–in caregivers in Canada. Furthermore, they experience multiple barriers in accessing mental health services due to their long work hours, limited knowledge about health resources, precarious employment, and immigration status. OBJECTIVE Women Empowerment - Caregiver Acceptance & Resilience E-Learning (WE2CARE) project is a pilot intervention research project that aims to promote mental well being and resiliency of migrant live-in caregivers. The objectives include exploring the effectiveness of this program in: (1) reducing psychological distress (depression, anxiety, and stress); (2) promoting committed actions of self-care; and (3) building mutual support social networks. Further, participants’ satisfaction with the intervention and their perceived barriers and facilitators to practicing the self-care strategies embedded in WE2CARE will be examined. METHODS Thirty-six live- in caregivers residing in Great Toronto Area (GTA) will be recruited and randomly assigned to intervention and waitlist control groups. The intervention group will receive a 6-week web-based psychosocial intervention that will be based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Standardized self-reported surveys will be administered online pre-, post-, and 6-week post-intervention to assess mental distress (DASS 21), psychological flexibility (AAQ-2), mindfulness (CAMS-R) and Multi-System Model of Resilience (MSMR-I). Two focus groups will be held with a subset of participants to explore their feedback on the utility of the WE2CARE program. RESULTS WE2CARE was funded in January 2019 for a year. The protocol was approved by the research ethics boards of Ryerson University (REB 2019-036) in February 2019, and University of Toronto (RIS37623) in May 2019. Data collection started upon ethics approval and was completed by May 2020. A total of 29 caregivers completed the study and 20 participated in the focus groups. Data analyses are in progress and results will be published in 2021. CONCLUSIONS WE2CARE can be a promising approach in reducing stress, promoting resilience, and providing a virtual space for peer emotional support and collaborative learning among socially isolated and marginalized women. The results of this pilot study will inform the adaptation and utility of online delivery of ACT based psychological intervention in promoting mental health among disadvantaged and vulnerable populations. CLINICALTRIAL None

scholarly journals The emerging role of acceptance and commitment therapy as a way to treat trauma and stressor related disorders

BJPsych Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (S1) ◽  
pp. S290-S290
Author(s):  
Gisela Simões ◽  
Rita Silva
Keyword(s):  
Acceptance And Commitment Therapy ◽  
Psychological Trauma ◽  
Stress Factors ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Clinical Effects ◽  
Addictive Disorders ◽  
Commitment Therapy ◽  
Mesh Terms ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment

AimsThe aim of this work is to gather and evaluate scientific evidence about the clinical effects of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in the treatment of patients with trauma-related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).MethodA literature search was conducted on PubMed platform, starting from the following MeSH terms: “Acceptance and Commitment Therapy”, “Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders”, “Psychological Trauma”. Studies obtained were analysed, corresponding to investigations based on an adult population with trauma and stressor related disorders.ResultThe search provided 13 results, of which 12 met the defined criteria. Different types of studies with variable samples were considered, including randomised clinical trials, longitudinal observational studies, narrative reviews and an analysis of case reports.Globally, ACT has been showing a crescent role in the treatment of individuals with trauma histories by enhancing positive outcomes and by being associated with greater psychological flexibility. It is increasingly considered to be well-suited to the treatment of trauma by targeting avoidance, coping strategies with emotional disengagement and persistent dissociation, aspects associated with greater PTSD symptom severity and related psychopathology.Furthermore, research suggests that acceptance-based treatments are helpful in promoting emotional, behavioural, and neural changes in psychological disorders characterised by disgust, shame and guilt that commonly co-occur with PTSD.Among the various exposure factors, we found a growing production of recent literature in which ACT has been applied in the context of oncology life-threatening settings, demonstrating significant improvements in symptoms and quality of life, as well as reductions in emotional disturbances, physical pain and traumatic responses.However, little is known about implementation and results of ACT in situations of trauma and psychiatric comorbidities. Data suggest that, when applied to individuals with psychosis and history of trauma, there is an improvement in overall severity and anxiety symptoms, emotion regulation strategies and a greater sense of engagement in care; nevertheless, reduction of specific trauma symptoms remains controversial. More mention is made about the growth of literature evaluating the application of ACT as a conjunctial therapeutic method for trauma and simultaneous addictive disorders.ConclusionOverall, despite limited published research currently available, some evidence starts to support ACT's promising role as an effective psychotherapeutic approach to trauma and stressor related disorders. Its application in situations where organic diseases represent stress factors has been growing. Future research should focus on clarifying the role of ACT in psychiatric comorbidity scenarios, allowing this psychotherapy to help individuals find a meaningful and valuable life beyond trauma.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Resilience, Psychological Well-Being, and Life Expectancy in Asthmatic Patients

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaghayegh Bahramiabdolmalaki ◽  
Alireza Homayouni ◽  
Masoud Aliyali
Keyword(s):  
Life Expectancy ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment Therapy ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Test Collection ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Asthmatic Patients ◽  
Commitment Therapy ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Post Test

Introduction: Psychosomatic experts have tried to associate mental disorders to physical illnesses. The vulnerability of different parts of the body is thought to depend on fundamental differences between individuals. One of the methods that seems to affect the psychological problems of asthma patients is acceptance and commitment therapy. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of acceptance- and commitment-based therapy on resilience, psychological well-being, and life expectancy in asthmatic patients. Methods: This quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test study was conducted on 30 asthmatic patients who were randomly assigned to the experimental (n = 15) and control (n = 15) groups according to the inclusion criteria. Acceptance and commitment therapy sessions were based on the treatment package of Hayes et al. in 8 sessions of 60 minutes on the experimental group and no intervention was performed on the control group. All participants took part in the pre-test and post-test. Collection tools included Conner-Davidson Resilience Questionnaire, Schneider Life expectancy, and Ryf Psychological Well-being. Results: The results showed a significant difference in the components of resilience, psychological well-being, and life expectancy in asthmatic patients before and after the experiment (p <0.05). In other words, acceptance and commitment-based therapy had a positive effect on resilience, psychological well-being and life expectancy in asthmatic patients and these components have increased in patients. Conclusion: Findings showed that acceptance- and commitment-based therapy was effective on resilience, psychological well-being, and life expectancy of asthmatic patients. This treatment is suggested to be used in conjunction with drug therapy to improve the psychological symptoms of asthmatic patients.

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