Research from the Psychology Department of Illawarra Cancer Care Centre in Australia by Danielle L. Feros, Lisbeth Lane, Joseph Ciarrochi and John T. Blackledge tried to examine the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) intervention in improving the quality of life of 45 cancer patients.
Acceptance and Commitment therapy (that falls under cognitive behavioural therapies) is an intervention designed to improve an individual’s psychological flexibility and overall well-being. ACT tries to promote acceptance of thoughts and feelings as well as encourage committed action towards one’s values and goals. ACT emphasizes the importance of accepting our emotions even if they’re distressing and uncomfortable.
Read More: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Individuals are encouraged to acknowledge and allow them to exist without judgement rather than trying to suppress and control. They are guided to identify and clarify their core values, and what truly matters to them in life, and encouraged to take committed actions that are aligned with those values. ACT also tries to help recognize that one’s ‘sense of self is distinct from their thoughts and emotions.
The 45 cancer patients included 34 women and 11 men, their ages ranging from 25-77 years. Distress thermometer assessed the level of distress; Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS) for mood disturbance; Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (FACT) for quality of life, and Psychological flexibility was assessed using the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire II (AAQ-II). During the intervention, four modules covered the elements of ACT including: increasing effective action orientation, mindfulness, self-as contact, and formal value clarification and commitment.
Read More: Mental Health Issues in Cancer Patients During Treatment
Results of the study showed improvements in outcome measures (self-reported distress, mood disturbance, psychological flexibility, and quality of life) from pre- to post and pre-to follow-up. According to the regression analyses, it showed that changes in psychological flexibility predicted changes in quality of life, distress and mood.
In conclusion, the study found a positive and meaningful impact on the lives of cancer patients, as they were better able to process and experience unpleasant thoughts, feelings and sensations. The effect sizes were comparable to those typically found in other psychological therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy, which is known to improve the quality of life in cancer patients. Such results support the need for further research into ACT as an intervention for cancer patients, and its potential to help patients cope with difficult emotions and enhance their quality of life.
