[Experiential acceptance in the treatment of complex somatic symptom disorder]. / Ervaringsgerichte acceptatie bij de behandeling van complexe somatisch-symptoomstoornis.

BACKGROUND: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) plays an important role in the treatment of patients with refractory Somatic Symptom Disorder and related disorders with complex problems and/or somatic or psychiatric comorbidity (complex SSD). AIM: To gain insight into the possible role of (experiential) acceptance in improved quality of life during and after treatment. METHOD: Observational longitudinal study in 41 patients with complex SSD treated at Altrecht Psychosomatic Medicine Eikenboom. They completed online questionnaires around the start and completion of treatment and after six months of follow-up. Assessed were experiential acceptance (AAQ-II-NL) and three aspects of quality of life (RAND-36: mental health, physical functioning, general health perception). The associations between changes in acceptance and quality of life were determined. RESULTS: Acceptance increased significantly from treatment initiation to follow-up. Mental health increased significantly between start and end of treatment, and general health perception increased significantly in the follow-up period. Physical functioning did not change. During treatment, an increase in acceptance was significantly associated with improvement in mental health and general health perception; during follow-up, an increase in acceptance was associated with an improvement in mental health. CONCLUSION: The current study demonstrates that an increase in experiential acceptance goes hand in hand with an improvement in mental health and general health perception. These results indicate the potential importance of acceptance-based treatment in patients with complex SSD. Experimental research with more frequent measurements is needed to test a temporal relationship between (first) increased acceptance and (then) improved quality of life.

Practitioner perspectives on the use of acceptance and commitment therapy for bereavement support: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: There is currently a high demand for bereavement support coupled with inconclusive findings as to the efficacy of existing approaches. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) aims to improve human functioning and has shown efficacy across a wide range of conditions. ACT may be a promising means of supporting bereaved people, yet evidence on the use of ACT for bereavement support is lacking. The aim of this study is to explore how ACT is currently used for bereavement support and practitioner perspectives of how it helps following bereavement. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted online via MS Teams with practitioners experienced in using ACT for bereavement support. Data were analysed thematically guided by a framework approach. RESULTS: Nine participants were recruited. Three themes were identified: (i) creating psychological space around grief; (ii) using psychological space for value-directed action in the midst of grieving, and (iii) adapting ACT for bereavement support. Practitioners indicated that ACT improves clients' relationship with distressing internal experiences. Metaphors and mindfulness techniques were used to encourage acceptance of grief responses, taking perspective on distressing thoughts and images, and contact with the present moment. Better relationships with distressing experiences were regarded as less psychologically taxing, improving coping and well-being, while providing the psychological space to engage in value-directed action. Values exploration, sometimes using metaphors and exercises, was seen as supporting the bereaved person to rediscover a sense of purpose and engage in meaningful activities alongside their grief. Practitioners used ACT flexibly, integrating other interventions, and adapted ACT to the perceived sensitivities of bereaved people, and age-related and developmental factors. CONCLUSION: ACT is used to support people who have been bereaved to live effectively with the difficult thoughts and feelings associated with grieving and to enable them to gradually identify, reconnect with, and act in line with their values after loss.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Chronic Pain: An Overview of Systematic Reviews with Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials.

This overview of reviews aimed to summarize the evidence from systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized clinical trials of the efficacy of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for adults with chronic pain in relation to pain intensity, pain-related functioning, quality of life, and psychological factors. The Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Embase, PsycINFO, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library databases were searched from inception to July 2, 2023. AMSTAR 2 was used to assess the methodological quality of systematic reviews. The overlap among reviews was calculated. Nine reviews comprising 84 meta-analyses of interest were included. At post-treatment, some meta-analyses mainly showed that ACT can reduce depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, psychological inflexibility, and pain catastrophizing; and can improve mindfulness, pain acceptance, and psychological flexibility. At three-month follow-up, ACT can reduce depression symptoms and psychological inflexibility, as well as improve pain-related functioning and psychological flexibility. At six-month follow-up, ACT can improve mindfulness, pain-related functioning, pain acceptance, psychological flexibility, and quality of life. At six-twelve-month follow-up, ACT can reduce pain catastrophizing and can improve pain-related functioning. Some methodological and clinical issues are identified in the reviews, such as a very high overlap between systematic reviews, the fact that the certainty of the evidence is often not rated and specific details needed to replicate the interventions reviewed are often not reported. Overall, however, randomized clinical trials and systematic reviews show that ACT can improve outcomes related to chronic pain (eg, pain-related functioning). Future systematic reviews should address the methodological and clinical concerns identified here to produce higher-quality findings. PERSPECTIVE: Despite certain methodological and clinical issues, randomized clinical trials and systematic reviews of ACT appear to show that it can improve outcomes related to chronic pain (eg, psychological factors).

Comparison of the Effect of Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy mindfulness-based Stress Reduction on Irritable Bowel Syndrome Symptoms, Quality of Life, Anxiety and Depression: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

This study aimed to compare dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) effects on irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms, quality of life (QOL), anxiety and depression among patients with IBS. Eighty three eligible patients with a Rome- IV diagnosis were randomly allocated in DBT, MBSR, ACT, and control groups (n = 22 per group). All the patients were evaluated for IBS symptoms by IBS Severity Scoring System (IBS-SSS), QOL by irritable bowel syndrome quality of life (IBS-QOL), anxiety by Beck's Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and depression by Beck Depression Inventory- II (BDI-II) on the studied groups at the time of their inclusion in the study and 8 weeks after it. Each of the intervention groups took part in 8 group sessions. Conversely, the control group were evaluated without any intervention. 54 male and 29 female in 4 groups completed the study: DBT (n = 20), MBSR (n = 19), ACT (n = 22), and control groups (n = 22). The results showed significant differences between the groups based on the variables of the IBS-SSS, IBS-QOL, BAI and BDI-II (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the ACT intervention had considerably lower levels of IBS symptoms, anxiety, and depression compared to the other groups; also, the significant impacts of the QOL variable showed the higher scores of the ACT compared to the treatment groups. The therapies could not be applied to other groups of people. Other shortcomings were the absence of a follow-up strategy. This research offers preliminary evidence that ACT is more successful than other therapy groups in reducing IBS symptoms, anxiety and sadness, and improving QOL in IBS patients.

Acceptance and commitment therapy for psychosis: Current status, lingering questions and future directions.

PURPOSE: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for psychosis (ACTp) is a contextual behavioural intervention that promotes psychological flexibility by fostering active acceptance, cognitive defusion, values construction and committed action to enhance well-being and recovery. Multiple studies have shown that ACTp is acceptable and efficacious, but questions remain as to its distinction from similar approaches and the conditions under which it would be implemented most effectively. METHODS: We present the current evidence for processes and outcomes of ACTp and summarise the qualitative findings of experiences of service users in ACT programmes. We compare ACTp with other cognitive behavioural therapies and mindfulness-informed interventions for psychosis. RESULTS: Acceptance and commitment therapy for psychosis is promising as a pragmatic, process-driven intervention model. Further efforts are needed to investigate psychological flexibility in the context of psychosis with observational, experimental and intervention studies that will inform model scope and treatment refinement. Additionally, implementation research is the necessary next step, including how support persons can be trained in ACTp. Lower intensity and technology-assisted approaches have the potential to reduce barriers to accessing ACTp and extend impact. CONCLUSIONS: Over the last 20 years, ACTp has demonstrated meaningful effects in individual and group formats in a range of settings, targeting outcomes such as rehospitalisation, depression, psychotic symptom distress and impact. Future work should focus on how best to integrate ACTp with other current evidence-based interventions for psychosis.

Mindfulness-based interventions for body image dissatisfaction among clinical population: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) are well-validated interventions to enhance the favourable body image of individuals. Despite their wide application, the efficacy of MBIs in reducing body image dissatisfaction (BID) among various clinical populations remains unclear. This study aims to expand the literature on MBIs for BID and identify effective types of MBIs for reducing BID in diverse clinical populations for future research and practice. METHODS: A systematic search for studies published in English on the effectiveness of MBIs for BID among the clinical population was done on APA PsycNet, PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science and Google Scholar databases in August 2023. Of the 1962 articles initially identified, 17 were found eligible and evaluated based on the JBI checklist. RESULTS: Random effects meta-analyses on six MBIs revealed their effectiveness in reducing BID among the clinical population (SMD = -.59 and 95% CI = -1.03 to -.15, p = .009), with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) (SMD = -1.29, 95% CI = -2.06 to -.52, p = .001) and My Changed Body (MyCB) (SMD = -.24, 95% CI = -.46 to -.01, p = .04) reporting significant effect sizes. Among the patients with breast cancer, MyCB (SMD = -.24, 95% CI = -.46 to -.01, p = .04) showed a significant effect size. CONCLUSIONS: MBIs appear to be promising interventions in reducing BID among the clinical population. However, findings should be considered cautiously due to the possible publication bias, high heterogeneity and fewer available studies.

Effectiveness of the third wave cognitive behavior therapy for peripartum depression treatment-A systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: To investigate the effectiveness of third-wave cognitive behavior therapies in the treatment of peripartum depression. METHOD: A systematic review of the effectiveness of psychological interventions in treating peripartum depression focus on the Third Wave has been conducted. The electronic databases MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Web of Science and Clinical Trials were searched, using a combination of different search terms. Data were independently extracted by two authors and a synthesis of the results was offered. Methodological quality was assessed by three authors, using ROBE-2 and MINORS. Search date was conducted in February 2022 and the search was re-run in November 2022 for new entries. FINDINGS: Six papers were included and reported, focused on, the effectiveness of Third Wave approach interventions in reducing depressive symptoms. Papers included the following intervention approaches: Behavioral intervention (n = 2), Mindfulness (n = 2), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (n = 1) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (n = 1). All six papers were consistent in that interventions lead to a decrease in depression symptoms. However, risk of bias evaluation showed that all were critical low, but one paper was high quality. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE AND RESEARCH: Systematic review showed that third-wave approaches are promising in effectiveness to reduce depression symptoms in peripartum women. However, more high-quality studies with follow-up are needed.

Effects and Mechanisms of a Web- and Mobile-Based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Intervention for Anxiety and Depression Symptoms in Nurses: Fully Decentralized Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a promising intervention for improving mental health. However, there is limited evidence on its effectiveness for nurses, particularly in web- and mobile-based intervention forms, in mitigating anxiety and depression symptoms. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to examine the effect and underlying psychological mechanisms of a web- and mobile-based ACT intervention on nurses' anxiety and depression symptoms. METHODS: In this fully decentralized randomized controlled trial, nurses were recruited nationwide across China through advertisements and posters. They were randomly assigned to either the 5-week fully automated intervention or the waiting group. Primary outcomes (anxiety and depression symptoms); secondary outcomes (sleep quality, burnout, and work performance); and mediators (psychological flexibility, cognitive defusion, mindfulness, and values) were assessed using the Wenjuanxing platform. Data collectors were blinded to the group assignments throughout the study period. RESULTS: A total of 145 nurses with anxiety or depression symptoms were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (n=72, 49.7%) or the control group (n=73, 50.3%); 97.2% (n=141) were female. During the study, 36 (24.8%) nurses were lost to follow-up, and 53 (73.6%) completed the entire intervention. Nurses in the intervention group showed significant improvement in anxiety (d=0.67, 95% CI 0.33-1.00) and depression symptoms (d=0.58, 95% CI 0.25-0.91), and the effects were sustained for 3 months after the intervention (anxiety: d=0.55, 95% CI 0.22-0.89; depression: d=0.66, 95% CI 0.33-1.00). Changes in psychological flexibility, cognitive defusion, and values mediated the effect of the intervention on anxiety and depression symptoms, while mindfulness did not have a mediating effect. CONCLUSIONS: The web- and mobile-based ACT intervention used in this study significantly improved nurses' anxiety and depression symptoms by improving psychological flexibility, cognitive defusion, and values. The results provide new ideas for hospital administrators to prevent and intervene in nurses' psychological issues. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Register ChiCTR2200059218; https://tinyurl.com/4mb4t5y9.

Efficacy and acceptability of mobile application-delivered acceptance and commitment therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder in China: A randomized controlled trial.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its extensive effects, the incidence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms is rapidly increasing in China. This research aimed to assess the efficacy and acceptability of a mobile application delivering Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in reducing PTSD symptoms. 221 Chinese individuals with elevated PTSD symptoms were randomly assigned to app-delivered ACT (ACT condition), app-delivered mindfulness (MI condition), or a waitlist (WL condition). Assessments were performed pre- and post-intervention. The results showed that participants in both the ACT and MI groups had significantly greater improvements across mental health outcomes compared to the WL group. No significant differences were observed between the ACT and MI groups except for psychological flexibility, which improved more in ACT than MI (d = -0.37). Compared to WL, the ACT group showed a greater improvement in PTSD symptoms (d = -0.79), anxiety (d = -0.62), depression (d = -0.51), posttraumatic growth (d = 0.46), and psychological flexibility (d = 0.76). The drop-out rates in the ACT and MI were 25.76% and 39.71%, respectively. Participants in the ACT condition reported medium program satisfaction. The study suggests app-delivered ACT is efficacious in reducing PTSD symptoms and improving overall mental health among Chinese adults.

Third-wave cognitive behavioral therapies for caregivers of cancer patients: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Cancer caregivers extend comprehensive support covering all aspects of patients' daily lives. It has been reported that a significant proportion of cancer caregivers experience emotional distress. As one way to solve this problem, third-wave cognitive behavioral therapies (CBT), which involves integrating acceptance and mindfulness into cognitive‒behavioral therapy, has been applied to improve caregiver outcomes. METHODS: A scoping review was conducted based on the scoping review guidelines proposed by the Jonna Briggs Institute (JBI). The population was caregivers of cancer patients, the concept was third-wave CBT, and the context remained open. English and Korean publications published from 2001 to June 2022 were identified from PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane, Korea Med, and RISS. RESULTS: A total of 12 studies were included in this scoping review. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) was the most frequently applied intervention (n = 3, each). Among the components of third-wave CBT, 'mindfulness' was identified in all the studies reviewed (n = 12). Dyadic interventions comprised the majority (n = 9). Interventions using digital technologies such as mobile application/web page (n = 3), telephone (n = 3), and FaceTime (n = 2) have increased since 2017. Depression was the most frequently evaluated outcome (n = 8), followed by anxiety and mindfulness (n = 6, each). CONCLUSIONS: The current review explored available third-wave CBT intervention studies for cancer caregivers and targeted outcomes. Most of the interventions were dyadic interventions and utilized mindfulness. Delivery methods were continuously updated with digital technologies. Further RCTs with robust research designs and a synthesis of the results of the trials would provide evidence about how to effectively apply third-wave CBTs for cancer caregivers.

Using acceptance and commitment therapy in everyday conversations to support staff well-being.

Healthcare organisations implement a range of staff well-being initiatives and increasingly focus on compassionate leadership. While formal interventions aimed at maintaining and enhancing staff well-being can be beneficial, they have practical limitations, such as staff turnover and challenges in meeting demand. Therefore, everyday conversations between nurses in leadership positions and their team members also have an important role in supporting staff well-being. One psychological model that nurse leaders may wish to use is acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), which involves techniques such as mindfulness, acceptance and values clarification. This article outlines the principles of ACT and explains how leaders can use these to guide well-being conversations with staff.

Effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy-based interventions for improving the psychological health of parents of children with special health care needs: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness of ACT-based interventions on improving the mental health of parents of children with SHCN compared to active/inactive controls and to investigate the characteristics/components of the effective interventions in the included studies. METHODS: Eight databases were searched from inception to 14 February 2023. We included all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of ACT-based interventions for parents of children with SHCN published in English or Chinese journals and dissertations reporting at least one parental mental health outcome postintervention. RESULTS: Fourteen RCTs were included. The results indicated significant improvements of ACT-based interventions in the stress (Hedges' g = -0.36), depressive symptoms (g = -0.32), anxiety (g = -0.29), distress (g = -0.29), psychological flexibility (g = 0.51), mindful awareness/mindfulness abilities (g = 0.41), and confidence/self-efficacy (g = 0.30) of parents, as well as in the emotional and behavioural problems (EBP; g = -0.39) of their children with SHCN postintervention, with moderate to high certainty of evidence. Furthermore, the optimal components of ACT-based interventions, including the intervention approaches (ACT combined with another parenting technique/program), active participants (only involving parents), delivery mode (in-person) and format (group-based format), and desirable number of sessions (4-8 sessions), were identified to inform the design of future interventions/studies. CONCLUSION: This review highlights the positive effects of ACT-based interventions on mental health, psychological flexibility, mindful awareness/mindfulness abilities, and confidence/self-efficacy in parents and EBP in children with SHCN. Since group-based ACT combined with a parenting technique/program was identified as the optimal effective strategy, its effects could be further examined in larger-scale RCTs with parents and children with SHCN with diverse ethnic and sociodemographic characteristics.

Effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy for inpatients with psychosis: Implementation feasibility and acceptability from a pilot randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Inpatients (ACT-IN) with psychosis has been found to be efficacious in previous trials, but its effectiveness has not been studied when implemented by frontline clinicians in routine settings. METHOD: In this pilot randomized controlled effectiveness trial, inpatients with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders were randomized to ACT-IN plus treatment as usual (TAU) (n = 23) or a time/attention matched (TAM) supportive condition plus TAU (n = 23) delivered by routine hospital staff. Both conditions received individual and group therapy during inpatient care and completed follow-up phone sessions during the first month post-discharge. Patients were assessed through 4 months post-discharge (blinded to condition) to determine feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of ACT-IN. RESULTS: ACT-IN was feasible to deliver with fidelity by frontline staff when integrated into an acute care setting. At post-treatment, patients reported significantly greater treatment satisfaction in ACT-IN relative to TAM. Overall, results showed significant but similar improvements for both conditions through 4-month follow-up in psychiatric symptoms, functioning, and mindfulness. Only ACT-IN improved over time in distress. Furthermore, patients receiving TAM had a 3.76 times greater risk of rehospitalization over 4 months compared with ACT-IN. CONCLUSIONS: ACT-IN is feasible and acceptable for patients with psychosis, can be implemented by hospital staff when integrated into acute treatment, and may result in decreased rehospitalization compared to alternative therapies. A future full-scale randomized-controlled implementation trial is warranted. CLINICALTRIALS: gov Identifer: NCT02336581.

Effectiveness of Internet-delivered self-help acceptance and commitment therapy (iACT) on nurses' obsessive-compulsive symptoms and sleep quality: A randomized controlled trial with 3-month follow-up.

BACKGROUND: Frontline nurses suffered unprecedented mental distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. It's essential to explore new and more accessible alternatives to improve the availability of psychological treatments. This study aimed to investigate the influence of online self-help iACT linear intervention and iACT loop intervention on sleep quality (SQ), obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS), and psychological flexibility (PF) in nurses. METHODS: A randomized controlled trial was conducted at a hospital in China. 602 participants were randomly assigned to the iACT linear intervention, iACT loop intervention, or wait list control group, and required to complete the questionnaires of OCS, PF and SQ. The linear mixed effects analysis (LMM) was used to analyze the impact of the intervention on outcome variables. RESULTS: LMM analyses demonstrated that both two intervention had significant improvement on OCS (t = -38.235, p < 0.001), PF (t = 28.156, p < 0.001), as well as SQ (t = -16.336, p < 0.001). There were significant differences between the linear group and loop group on the PF in T2 (t = -8.271, p < 0.001), T3 (t = -8.366, p < 0.001), T4 (t = -8.302, p < 0.001), with the iACT loop model (Cohen's d = 1.652) showing a slight advantage over the iACT linear model (Cohen's d = 1.134). CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that two interventions positively impact OCS, PF, and SQ. Compared to the iACT linear psychotherapy model, the iACT loop model shows greater effectiveness in enhancing PF, making it helpful to promote significant improvements in psychotherapy planning.

Characterising meaningful patient and public involvement in the pharmaceutical industry research setting: a retrospective quality assessment.

OBJECTIVES: Patient and public involvement (PPI) in clinical research has a well-established infrastructure in the UK, and while there has been good progress within pharmaceutical-industry-sponsored research, further improvements are still needed. This review aims to share learnings from quality assessments of historical PPI projects within Pfizer UK to inform future projects and drive PPI progress in the pharmaceutical industry. DESIGN AND SETTING: Internal assessments of Pfizer UK PPI projects were conducted to identify all relevant projects across the medicines development continuum between 2017 and 2021. Five sample projects were developed into case studies. OUTCOME MEASURE: Retrospective quality assessments were performed using the Patient Focused Medicines Development (PFMD) Patient Engagement Quality Guidance (PEQG) tool. Recommendations for improvement were developed. RESULTS: Retrospective case study analysis and quality framework assessment revealed benefits of PPI to both Pfizer UK and to external partners, as well as challenges and learnings to improve future practice. Recommendations for improvement based on these findings focused on processes and procedures for PPI, group dynamics and diversity for PPI activities, sharing of expertise, the importance of bidirectional and timely feedback, and the use of understandable language in materials. CONCLUSIONS: PPI in medicines development is impactful and beneficial but is still being optimised in the pharmaceutical industry. Using the PFMD PEQG tool to define gaps, share learnings and devise recommendations for improvement helps to ensure that PPI is genuine and empowering, rather than tokenistic. Ultimately, these recommendations should be acted on to further embed PPI as an integral part of medicines development and health research within the pharmaceutical industry. This article includes a plain language summary in the supplement.

Habit-reversal training: a psychotherapeutic approach in treating body-focused repetitive behaviour disorders.

Body-focused repetitive behaviours (BFRBs) are recurrent, compulsive, destructive behaviours directed towards the body. Although studies have demonstrated a 12-14% prevalence rate, researchers found that dermatologists and psychiatrists show a lack of knowledge regarding psychodermatology resources and information about BFRB disorders (BFRBDs) such as trichotillomania (TTM). There is limited research about treatments including ones investigating the clinical applications of various self-help training such as decoupling (DC) and DC in sensu (DC-is) as well as about habit-reversal training (HRT). HRT is a five-component behavioural intervention that aims to develop a competing response to a specific unwanted behaviour. Studies have found substantial support for HRT's efficacy in treating a variety of maladaptive repetitive behaviours including onychotillomania, TTM, skin-picking disorder and chronic cheek biting. Additionally, many psychotherapies can augmented HRT. Psychotherapies include acceptance and commitment therapy, dialectical behaviour therapy, psychodynamic psychotherapy, mindfulness mediation and the cognitive psychophysiological model. A recently investigated variant of HRT, DC-is, resulted in consistently satisfactory objective and subjective improvement for treating BFRBDs, and HRT showed good subjective but poor objective improvement compared with standard DC. HRT and HRT variants are effective therapeutic treatments for BFRBDs; however, further randomized double-blinded and placebo-controlled trials are required to examine HRT's therapeutic profile.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for people with advanced progressive illness, their caregivers and staff involved in their care: A scoping review.

BACKGROUND: People with an advanced progressive illness and their caregivers frequently experience anxiety, uncertainty and anticipatory grief. Traditional approaches to address psychological concerns aim to modify dysfunctional thinking; however, this is limited in palliative care, as often concerns area valid and thought modification is unrealistic. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is a mindfulness-based behavioural therapy aimed at promoting acceptance and valued living even in difficult circumstances. Evidence on its value in palliative care is emerging. AIMS: To scope the evidence regarding Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for people with advanced progressive illness, their caregivers and staff involved in their care. DESIGN: Systematic scoping review using four databases (Medline, PsychInfo, CINAHL and AMED), with relevant MeSH terms and keywords from January 1999 to May 2023. RESULTS: 1,373 papers were identified and 26 were eligible for inclusion. These involved people with advanced progressive illness (n = 14), informal caregivers (n = 4), palliative care staff (n = 3), bereaved carers (n = 3), and mixed groups (n = 2). Intervention studies (n = 15) showed that Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is acceptable and may have positive effects on anxiety, depression, distress, and sleep in palliative care populations. Observational studies (n = 11) revealed positive relationships between acceptance and adjustment to loss and physical function. CONCLUSION: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is acceptable and feasible in palliative care, and may improve anxiety, depression, and distress. Full scale mixed-method evaluation studies are now needed to demonstrate effectiveness and cost-effectiveness amongst patients; while further intervention development and feasibility studies are warranted to explore its value for bereaved carers and staff.

Trustworthy artificial intelligence and ethical design: public perceptions of trustworthiness of an AI-based decision-support tool in the context of intrapartum care.

BACKGROUND: Despite the recognition that developing artificial intelligence (AI) that is trustworthy is necessary for public acceptability and the successful implementation of AI in healthcare contexts, perspectives from key stakeholders are often absent from discourse on the ethical design, development, and deployment of AI. This study explores the perspectives of birth parents and mothers on the introduction of AI-based cardiotocography (CTG) in the context of intrapartum care, focusing on issues pertaining to trust and trustworthiness. METHODS: Seventeen semi-structured interviews were conducted with birth parents and mothers based on a speculative case study. Interviewees were based in England and were pregnant and/or had given birth in the last two years. Thematic analysis was used to analyze transcribed interviews with the use of NVivo. Major recurring themes acted as the basis for identifying the values most important to this population group for evaluating the trustworthiness of AI. RESULTS: Three themes pertaining to the perceived trustworthiness of AI emerged from interviews: (1) trustworthy AI-developing institutions, (2) trustworthy data from which AI is built, and (3) trustworthy decisions made with the assistance of AI. We found that birth parents and mothers trusted public institutions over private companies to develop AI, that they evaluated the trustworthiness of data by how representative it is of all population groups, and that they perceived trustworthy decisions as being mediated by humans even when supported by AI. CONCLUSIONS: The ethical values that underscore birth parents and mothers' perceptions of trustworthy AI include fairness and reliability, as well as practices like patient-centered care, the promotion of publicly funded healthcare, holistic care, and personalized medicine. Ultimately, these are also the ethical values that people want to protect in the healthcare system. Therefore, trustworthy AI is best understood not as a list of design features but in relation to how it undermines or promotes the ethical values that matter most to its end users. An ethical commitment to these values when creating AI in healthcare contexts opens up new challenges and possibilities for the design and deployment of AI.

Feasibility study of a mobile application (ACT-ON) to complement acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) intervention in cancer patients.

OBJECTIVE: Psychological and physical distress commonly affect cancer patients. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) has shown promising results when it comes to ameliorating symptoms that may develop as a result of this. Meanwhile, it has come to light that the impact of psychological interventions may be enhanced by the use of mobile applications. However, to date no mobile applications have been developed to support ACT-based interventions in cancer patients. The aim of the present study is to develop and test the usability of a mobile application designed to complement face-to-face ACT-based therapy in a group of cancer patients undergoing treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of thirty-nine patients were recruited to participate in this pilot study. Participants had to be: 18 years of age or over, currently undergoing treatment for breast, lung or colorectal cancer, in stage I-III, a smartphone user with daily internet access. The intervention sessions were administered for a period of eight weeks, one hour per week to groups of four to six participants. Patients had the ACT-ON mobile application at their disposal, which provided them with access to therapy-related activities: mindfulness, metaphors and exercises to clarify values. RESULTS: The application obtained adequate adoption (61.54%) and usage (54.17%) rates. Usability and ease of learning scores were as follows: good usability (M = 79.81, SD = 11.87); high usability (M = 80.53, SD = 14.04); ease of learning (M = 37.5, SD = 23.85). DISCUSSION: This is the first study to develop and evaluate the usability of an application designed to support ACT-based interventions in cancer patients undergoing treatment. The results show that the ACT-ON app is a feasible tool which achieves high levels of usability. However, said results ought to be confirmed by studies that include a larger number of cancer patients.

The Efficacy of Two Group Interventions on Mental Representations, Attachment Security, and Trauma Symptoms in Ethnically and Socioeconomically Minoritized Young Adolescents in an Urban Middle School.

Symptoms resulting from childhood trauma can negatively impact socioemotional well-being and school performance during early adolescence unless positive changes in attachment security and mental representations of significant relationships occur. A sample of 109 eighth grade urban students were randomly assigned to one of two weekly, one-hour, school-based group interventions-Storytelling/Story-Acting for Adolescents (STSA-A) or Mentalization-Based Treatment Group Intervention (MBT-G). The Object Relations Inventory (ORI), Adolescent Attachment Questionnaire (AAQ) and Child PSTD Stress Scale (CPSS) were administered to students and their primary group leaders at the beginning (October) and end (May) of the intervention protocol as outcome variables. Participants in both the STSA-A and MBT-G intervention conditions experienced significant increases in attachment security and decreases in trauma symptoms. Over the course of eight months of group intervention, affective valence of paternal mental representations significantly decreased for boys and for participants in the STSA-A condition, while affective valence of primary group leader mental representations significantly decreased for participants in the MBT-G condition. STSA-A and MBT-G were found to be efficacious at improving attachment security and reducing trauma symptoms in young adolescents. The strengths of each group intervention for addressing interpersonal issues unique to specific types of adolescents are discussed.