Exploring healthcare professional’s understanding of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) within MND care

A study to understand how well healthcare professionals understand ACT and how confident they would be using it in their work

MND impacts on people’s wellbeing, so it is important to find the best ways to support them and their families. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a form of psychological therapy that helps people to learn new ways of handling distressing thoughts and feelings. It also helps people to develop ways of taking part in activities that are important and meaningful to them. A recent study called the COMMEND trial showed that ACT, when used alongside standard care, can help to support the wellbeing of people with MND. You can read more about the COMMEND trial in our research blog. There are now calls for ACT to be included in more areas of MND care.

Currently, it is not possible for psychologists working within MND services to offer one-to-one ACT therapy to everyone who may need it. The researchers wish to explore the possibility of ACT being included in regular care by the existing healthcare team, as way to support people with MND, whilst continuing to push for better access to psychological support. To do this, they would like to better understand how well healthcare professionals understand ACT, how confident they would feel using it in their day-to-day role with training, and any barriers to using ACT. 

How will this study help people with and affected by MND now and/or in the future?

The COMMEND study showed that ACT can be helpful for people with MND. This study hopes to improve access to ACT by investigating the possibility of it being used by healthcare professionals in their day-to-day work. This could improve the psychological wellbeing and support available for people with MND.