Hostname: page-component-cb9f654ff-mwwwr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-08-28T08:48:19.452Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Development and Evaluation of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Delivered by Psychologists and Non-Psychologists in an NHS Community Adult Mental Health Service: a Preliminary Analysis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 May 2017

Thomas Richardson Open the ORCID record for Thomas Richardson [Opens in a new window] ,
Lorraine Bell ,
Helen Bolderston  and
Sue Clarke
Thomas Richardson*
Affiliation:
Mental Health Recovery Team North, Solent NHS Trust, St Mary's Community Health Campus, Milton Road, Portsmouth PO3 6AD and School of Psychology, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ
Lorraine Bell
Affiliation:
Mental Health Recovery Team North, Solent NHS Trust, St Mary's Community Health Campus, Milton Road, Portsmouth PO3 6AD
Helen Bolderston
Affiliation:
Research Centre for Behaviour Change, Department of Psychology, Bournemouth University, Poole House, Fern Barrow, Poole BH12 5BB
Sue Clarke
Affiliation:
Research Centre for Behaviour Change, Department of Psychology, Bournemouth University, Poole House, Fern Barrow, Poole BH12 5BB and Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust
*
Correspondence to Dr Thomas Richardson, Mental Health Recovery Team North, Solent NHS Trust, St Mary's Community Health Campus, Milton Road, Portsmouth PO3 6AD, UK. E-mail: thr1g10@soton.ac.uk
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background: Previous studies have demonstrated that acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is effective for depression and may be useful for complex transdiagnostic clients. Aims: To conduct a preliminary evaluation of whether ACT is feasible and effective when delivered by psychologists and non-psychologists for complex clients in a National Health Service (NHS) community mental health service for adults. Method: Staff were trained in ACT and conducted one-to-one therapy with clients. Measures on general mental health, depression, fusion and values were given pre-therapy, post-therapy and at 3-month follow-up. Results: Standardized measures showed significant improvements post-therapy for global mental health, depression, cognitive fusion and values post-treatment. These were partially maintained at follow-up and remained after an intent-to-treat analysis. There were no differences in outcomes between psychologists and non-psychologists. Conclusions: ACT may be delivered effectively with limited training for complex cases in secondary care, though further research is needed.

Keywords

ACTdepressionNHSadult mental health

Information

Type
Brief Clinical Reports
Information
Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy , Volume 46 , Issue 1 , January 2018 , pp. 121 - 127
Copyright
Copyright © British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies 2017 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Bond, F. W., Hayes, S. C., Baer, R. A., Carpenter, K. M., Guenole, N., Orcutt, H. K. et al. (2011). Preliminary psychometric properties of the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II: a revised measure of psychological inflexibility and experiential avoidance. Behavior Therapy, 42, 676–688. doi: 10.1016/j.beth.2011.03.007.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Evans, C., Mellor-Clark, J., Margison, F., Barkham, M., Audin, K., Connell, J. and McGrath, G. (2000). CORE: clinical outcomes in routine evaluation. Journal of Mental Health, 9, 247–255. doi: 10.1080/jmh.9.3.247.255 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Forman, E. M., Herbert, J. D., Moitra, E., Yeomans, P. D. and Geller, P. A. (2007). A randomized controlled effectiveness trial of acceptance and commitment therapy and cognitive therapy for anxiety and depression. Behavior Modification, 31, 772–799. doi: 10.1177/0145445507302202 Google Scholar
Gillanders, D. T., Bolderston, H., Bond, F. W., Dempster, M., Flaxman, P. E., Campbell, L. et al. (2014). The development and initial validation of the cognitive fusion questionnaire. Behavior Therapy, 45, 83–101. doi: 10.1016/j.beth.2013.09.001 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hayes, S. C., Strosahl, K. D. and Wilson, K. G. (1999). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: An Experiential Approach to Behavior Change. New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Kroenke, K., Spitzer, R. L. and Williams, J. B. (2001). The PHQ-9. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 16, 606–613. doi: 10.1046/j.1525-1497.2001.016009606.x CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lappalainen, R., Lehtonen, T., Skarp, E., Taubert, E., Ojanen, M. and Hayes, S. C. (2007). The impact of CBT and ACT models using psychology trainee therapists: a preliminary controlled effectiveness trial. Behavior Modification, 31, 488–511. doi: 10.1177/0145445506298436 Google Scholar
Pinto, R. A., Kienhuis, M., Slevison, M., Chester, A., Sloss, A. and Yap, K. (2015). The effectiveness of an outpatient Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Group programme for a transdiagnostic population. Clinical Psychologist, 21, 33–43. doi: 10.1111/cp.12057 Google Scholar
Ruiz, F. J. (2010). A review of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) empirical evidence: correlational, experimental psychopathology, component and outcome studies. International Journal of Psychology and Psychological Therapy, 10, 125–162.Google Scholar
Wilson, K. G., Sandoz, E. K., Kitchens, J. and Roberts, M. (2011). The Valued Living Questionnaire: defining and measuring valued action within a behavioral framework. The Psychological Record, 60, 249–272.Google Scholar
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.