Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Carers

May 25, 2016 updated by: Ross White, University of Glasgow

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

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.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

18

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United Kingdom
      • Glasgow, United Kingdom
        • Brain Injury Rehabilitation Trust

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

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

Exclusion Criteria:

  • learning disability
  • not proficient in English

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: ACT
ACT therapy
Behavioral: ACT
ACT therapy administered in 3 sessions over a 4 week period
Active Comparator: Enhanced Treatment as Usual
Group support
Behavioral: Enhanced Treatment as Usual
2 group discussion sessions over a 4 week period

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

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

Secondary Outcome Measures

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

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

University of Glasgow

Collaborators

Brain Injury Rehabilitation Trust

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Ross White, BSc(Hons) PhD DClinPsy, University of Glasgow

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

January 1, 2016

Primary Completion (Actual)

May 1, 2016

Study Completion (Actual)

May 1, 2016

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

October 21, 2015

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

October 21, 2015

First Posted (Estimate)

October 22, 2015

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

May 26, 2016

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 25, 2016

Last Verified

May 1, 2016

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 15/WS/0208

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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