Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Carers

The Use of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to Promote WellBeing and Psychological Flexibility in Carers: A Randomized Controlled Feasibility Trial

Status

Completed

Phases

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT02584101

Enrollment

Registered

2015-10-22

Start date

2016-01-31

Completion date

2016-05-31

Last updated

2016-05-26

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Brain Injuries

Keywords

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

Brief summary

Background: Research has extensively documented the adverse impact that caring for an individual with an acquired brain injury can have including financial difficulties, social isolation, family tension and conflict, relationship difficulties, role adjustment and psychological distress (Foster et al., 2012). Research has indicated that Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) shows promise for increasing wellbeing and psychological flexibility in caregivers and could be a useful intervention for use with this population. Aims: The primary aim of this study is to investigate the feasibility of using an ACT intervention to enhance the wellbeing and the psychological flexibility of carers using the Population, Intervention, Control, and Outcomes (PICO) framework. Methods: The current study is a randomised control design, exploring the feasibility of comparing the efficacy of an ACT intervention to Enhanced Treatment As Usual (ETAU), to improve the wellbeing of the carers of adults with an acquired brain injury (ABI). Participants will be recruited from the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Trust (BIRT) in Glasgow, Scotland and randomly assigned to either an ACT intervention group or TAU control group. Both will be assessed in parallel to one another completing a range of baseline and post-baseline measures. Applications: This feasibility study will provide information for further research on the utilisation of an ACT intervention to improve the wellbeing of carers and whether this is an acceptable intervention for this population.

Interventions

BEHAVIORALEnhanced Treatment as Usual

2 group discussion sessions over a 4 week period

BEHAVIORALACT

ACT therapy administered in 3 sessions over a 4 week period

Study design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

18 Years to No maximum

Healthy volunteers

Yes

Inclusion criteria

* full time or part time carer for an adult with an acquired brain injury

Exclusion criteria

* learning disability * not proficient in English

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Well-being	4 weeks	Change in General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) score

Secondary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Psychological Flexibility	4 weeks	Change in Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (AAQII) score
Values	4 weeks	Change in Valuing Questionnaire (VQ) score
Experiential Avoidance	4 weeks	Change in Experiential Avoidance in Caregiving Questionnaire (EACQ) score

Countries

United Kingdom

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026