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ObjectiveGrowing evidence shows that online mental health interventions for university students are a cost-effective means for addressing mental health problems among university students. This study presents data on the numbers and characteristics of students who engaged in an online mental health promotion intervention called YOLO in the context of a university-wide rollout of the program before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsParticipants completed a questionnaire assessing socio-demographics and mental health (wellbeing and distress). A total of 240 students accessed the program over a 12-month period and of these, 164 provided reliable data.ResultsYOLO was accessed by students representing diverse socio-demographics including domestic vs. international student status, degree level, faculty, ethnicity, and age, although there was an over-representation of females (77.2%). Students who accessed YOLO pre-COVID-19 did not substantially differ across most mental health dimensions from those who accessed it during-COVID-19, although more students reported mild-moderate anxiety symptoms during-COVID than pre-COVID-19. The only socio-demographics significantly associated with mental health were age and degree level. Younger age was related to higher anxiety and 3(rd) and 4(th) year undergraduate students reported poorer mental health comparative to students in other years. Additionally, a higher proportion of these students accessed YOLO during-COVID-19 than at pre-COVID-19.ConclusionThe present data along with findings from other studies that have evaluated YOLO, suggest that online mental health promotion programs that do not require in-person contact are an important and necessary resource for all university students.
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Background: The medical staff working on the front-line battle against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are more exposed to mental health risks than the general population. Resilience is the ability to withstand challenging situations and help people defend their mental health against stressors. The present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of Yalom and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on medical staff resilience in COVID-19 centers. Methods: The research method was quasi-experimental with a pre-test-post-test design and a control group. The statistical population includes all 600 medical staff of Hamedan City, Iran, caring for patients with COVID-19 in 2021. Based on the average variance of resilience obtained in previous studies, 45 people were selected by convenience sampling and randomly assigned to two experimental groups (each 15) and one control group (n=15). The experimental groups were divided into Yalom and ACT group psychotherapy, and all three groups responded to the Connor-Davidson resilience scale (CD-RISC) before and after the intervention. The obtained data were analyzed by analysis of covariance in SPSS software, version 25. Results: Yalom group psychotherapy and ACT group therapy had different effects on the participants' resilience and are statistically significant since the F statistics (106.722) was significant (P=0.001 and P=0.05, respectively). Based on the results, Yalom group psychotherapy has a better rate of improvement than ACT. Conclusion: Considering the significant efficacy of Yalom group psychotherapy and its relative ease of implementation compared to ACT, it is possible to employ this intervention to protect the mental health of medical staff during severe epidemics of diseases such as coronavirus. © 2023, Gonabad University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved.
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It is well established that the COVID-19 pandemic increased psychological distress in many populations, particularly for people with chronic health conditions (CHCs). Web-based mental health interventions provide a scalable and cost-effective approach to providing psychological support for people disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The current study aimed to explore the feasibility and acceptability of a one-week web-based psychological intervention (ACT2COPE) and explore preliminary effects of the intervention on reducing depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms, and improving wellbeing and psychological flexibility in adults living with CHCs during the COVID-19 pandemic in Aotearoa (New Zealand). A pilot randomised waitlist-controlled trial explored the acceptability and preliminary efficacy of ACT2COPE among 40 participants (n = 20 in the ACT2COPE group and n = 20 in the waitlist control group). Focus groups and open-ended questions explored usability and acceptability of the intervention as well as levels of engagement and adherence to the intervention. Mixed model ANOVAs explored within and between-group differences in psychological outcomes. Qualitative findings suggested that participants found ACT2COPE acceptable and engaging. Depressive symptoms significantly decreased over time compared to the waitlist group at 4-weeks follow-up (p =.012). No other between-group differences were found. The online ACT2COPE intervention presents a promising, scalable intervention that may improve psychological outcomes in adults living with CHCs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Future research is needed to confirm these findings in a larger and more diverse population and over a longer timeframe. © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
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Educational assessments can affect students' mental health, particularly during a pandemic. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) are widely efficacious for reducing test anxiety, as well as general anxiety and rumination. However, the effectiveness of these two therapies for students during COVID-19 is unclear. We measured the effectiveness of ACT and CBT for managing test anxiety, general anxiety, and rumination during COVID-19 for 77 students taking Türkiye's national university entrance exam, assigned to either the ACT or CBT psychoeducation programs. Both programs reduced test anxiety, general anxiety, and rumination, and showed similar levels of effectiveness. This suggests that ACT and CBT are both important for improving students' mental health during COVID-19 and either may be beneficial.
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BACKGROUND: Autism is a neurodevelopmental disability affecting over 1% of UK children. The period following a child's autism diagnosis can present real challenges in adaptation for families. Twenty to 50% of caregivers show clinically significant levels of mental health need within the post-diagnostic period and on an ongoing basis. Best practice guidelines recommend timely post-diagnostic family support. Current provision is patchy, largely unevidenced, and a source of dissatisfaction for both families and professionals. There is a pressing need for an evidenced programme of post-diagnostic support focusing on caregiver mental health and adjustment, alongside autism psycho-education. This trial tests the clinical and cost-effectiveness of a new brief manualised psychosocial intervention designed to address this gap. METHODS: This is a multi-centre two-parallel-group single (researcher)-blinded randomised controlled trial of the Empower-Autism programme plus treatment-as-usual versus usual local post-diagnostic offer plus treatment-as-usual. Caregivers of children aged 2-15 years with a recent autism diagnosis will be recruited from North West England NHS or local authority centres. Randomisation is individually by child, with one "index" caregiver per child, stratified by centre, using 2:1 randomisation ratio to assist recruitment and timely intervention. Empower-Autism is a group-based, manualised, post-diagnostic programme that combines autism psycho-education and psychotherapeutic components based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to support caregiver mental health, stress management and adjustment to their child's diagnosis. The comparator is any usual local group-based post-diagnostic psycho-education offer. Receipt of services will be specified through health economic data. PRIMARY OUTCOME: caregiver mental health (General Health Questionnaire-30) at 52-week follow-up. SECONDARY OUTCOMES: key caregiver measures (wellbeing, self-efficacy, adjustment, autism knowledge) at 12-, 26- and 52-week follow-up and family and child outcomes (wellbeing and functioning) at 52-week endpoint. SAMPLE: N=380 (approximately 253 intervention/127 treatment-as-usual). Primary analysis will follow intention-to-treat principles using linear mixed models with random intercepts for group membership and repeated measures. Cost-effectiveness acceptability analyses will be over 52 weeks, with decision modelling to extrapolate to longer time periods. DISCUSSION: If effective, this new approach will fill a key gap in the provision of evidence-based care pathways for autistic children and their families. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN 45412843 . Prospectively registered on 11 September 2019.
Subject(s)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy , Autism Spectrum Disorder , Autism Spectrum Disorder/diagnosis , Autism Spectrum Disorder/therapy , Caregivers/psychology , Child , Cost-Benefit Analysis , Humans , Mental Health , Quality of Life , United KingdomABSTRACT
Online psychological interventions (OPI) are evidence-based programs that provide mental health treatment over the internet. Meta-analytic data suggests that OPI's effectively treat emotional symptomatology. RNT-focused ACT consider psychological inflexibility and RNT as trans-diagnostic process that significantly predict emotional symptomatology. The present study analyzed the effect of a self-help OPI which contents have previously shown content validity, user feasibility and effectivity. This is an open trial design with repeated measures of emotional symptomatology and behavioral change processes. Bayesian analysis of variance for repeated measures was conducted with JASP for each variable, Bayes Factors (BF10) determined how much the evidence favored OPI effect. Effect sizes, reliable and significant change and moderation analyses were also conducted. 18 cisgender women around 30 years old mostly heterosexual, single and unemployed finished the OPI. There is decisive evidence for OPI effect on emotional symptomatology and behavioral change processes (experiential avoidance, cognitive fusion and RNT). There is also anecdotal evidence for the moderating role of the number of hierarchical RNT triggers ( private events), their type and intimate partner relationship distress as well as anecdotal evidence against the moderating role of being a psychologist. Results need to be considered in the context of the study limitations and future research should explore the program's feasibility and effect in other populations and cultures. However, the program is feasible and efficacious for the treatment of emotional symptomatology at least for young cisgender women in Colombia.
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Objective This study evaluated a three-session self-guided, online Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) treatment program aimed at improving teachers' psychological well-being (PWB) with diverse occupational attributes. Method A total of 80 participants were screened with the Ryff's Scales of Psychological Well-being to understand individual differences among teachers in terms of experienced PWB. Based on specific eligibility criteria, 40 teachers were randomised to intervention (n = 20) or waitlist control condition (n = 20) group. Additionally, intervention group participants' attitudes regarding the effects of the program were recorded online during interviews and analyzed through content analysis. Results The results of the primary phase indicated significant differences in teachers' PWB based on their professional experience, teaching context, and education level. These occupational variables, as well as teachers' income, significantly contributed to the variances in teachers' PWB. Regarding the effects of the program, we found improvements in teachers' PWB at post-assessment with a moderate effect size (eta2 = .60). In the end, the interview results indicated that teacher participants had positive attitudes toward the program and its implementation method by emphasising its practicality and feasibility. Discussion Given the small number of participants, the results provide tentative support for the efficacy of a self-guided, online ACT-based treatment program for improving PWB in teachers. The results also present implications for school counsellors and teacher educators to use the program in an educational system with poor infrastructure during times of crisis. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
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Worldwide, COVID-19 outbreak has been impacting people. The death toll from Covid-19 has reached 57,50,868 globally, with 39,72,59,234 verified cases. In India, there are 4,24,10,976 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and the death toll has risen to 5,05,279. Everyone experiences bereavement at some point during their lifetime. It is a universal sensation. Many find that when they adjust and integrate their loss into their daily life, their level of sadness lessens over time. The grievers or carers may go through deep, persistent, and crippling grief that satisfies the DSM V criteria for Prolonged Grief Condition, a recognised mental disorder. The majority of people adjust after a loss, with two-thirds saying that their financial, emotional, and physical conditions remained unchanged. Severe dyspnea, patient seclusion, visitation limitations, death in intensive care units, anguish of patients/family members, and disruption of relatives' social support networks are the mourning risk factors. The following psychological interventions will be used in this study to attempt to illustrate the treatment, emotional support, and counselling available to bereaved family members and caregivers (Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Art based therapy, Group Therapy, Traumatic Grief Therapy, Complicated Grief Therapy).Copyright © 2023, Anka Publishers. All rights reserved.
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Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) can be chronic and impairing, highlighting the need for effective treatments. Although Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for GAD, a number of patients continue to report GAD symptoms treatment. Integrating evidenced-based treatment components into CBT treatments, such as mindfulness- and acceptance-based treatment components found in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), may help improve the efficacy of treatment. Emerging interventions and research suggest that the cognitive restructuring aspect of CBT and acceptance stance of ACT (e.g., cognitive defusion) can be implemented into treatment concurrently from a stance of increasing a patient's coping skills repertoire and psychological flexibility. This systemic case analysis examined the efficacy and clinical utility of integrating ACT into a manualized CBT treatment for GAD. Furthermore, this study examined treatment efficacy and therapeutic alliance as the treatment rapidly and unexpectedly transitioned from in-person to telehealth due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Pre- to post-treatment and time-series analyses showed significant decreases in anxiety symptoms, worry, depressive symptoms, and emotion dysregulation. Although there was an initial increase in depressive and anxiety symptoms, worry, and emotion dysregulation following the switch from in-person to telehealth services, these quickly subsided and resumed a downward trend. The therapeutic relationship did not deteriorate during the transition to telehealth. This case study provides evidence of feasibility and efficacy of an integrated CBT/ACT approach in treating GAD. It also suggests that despite some temporary increase in symptoms, therapeutic alliance and treatment efficacy were not impacted by the switch to telehealth.Copyright © The Author(s) 2022.
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While nurses generally report high levels of burnout (The Joint Commission, 2020), often due to the post-traumatic stress associated with nursing, the International Council of Nurses (2021) noted an increase in the number of nurses reporting burnout during COVID-19. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) has been suggested as an intervention strategy for burnout as psychological flexibility, a key outcome of ACT, is correlated with lower burnout among nurses. The goal of this study was to examine whether psychological flexibility moderated the relationship between COVID-19-specific post-traumatic stress and burnout. Fifty-three nurses from the United States completed a survey that measured their levels of burnout, secondary-traumatic stress, COVID-19-specific post-traumatic stress, and psychological flexibility, as well as a variety of demographic and COVID-19 related factors. Results of a moderation analysis indicated that, while there was a significant, positive correlation between COVID-19-specific post-traumatic stress and burnout, psychological flexibility did not significantly moderate that relationship. These results are vital for clinicians and organizations dedicated to helping nurses, indicating that a commonly-used method for reducing and preventing burnout would likely not be time or cost-effective for nurses during a global health crisis such as COVID-19. It is possible that this study?s small sample size contributed to the non-significant findings and brings into question the generalizability of this study to larger groups of nurses. Future research ought to focus on whether there is enough nuance between the questionnaires used to measure the general post-traumatic stress associated with nursing and event-specific post-traumatic stress, such as that associated with COVID-19. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
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Despite facing various challenges relating to mental health and often dealing with a highly stressful work environment, physicians often feel as though they cannot readily access mental healthcare services. This is due to an array of elements, such as personality factors, systemic barriers, and cultural issues. While the prevalence of mental health difficulties within a physician population is relatively well researched, very little has been done to address the obstacles to treatment. Physicians are regularly exposed to potentially traumatic experiences and often make morally ambiguous decisions. While highly trained and undeniably competent, no physician is perfect, and medical errors with severe consequences do happen. Further, healthcare systems face unprecedented challenges worldwide due to circumstances following the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. This manuscript discusses the risk of what is known as Moral Injury in a physician population due to everyday difficulties and the extraordinary circumstances resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic. Subsequently, the discussion is then broadened to propose implementing a form of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) as a means of treatment for said Moral Injury. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
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A non-concurrent multiple baseline design in conjunction with a within-subject group design was used in this extension study employing an asynchronous and synchronous model to deliver an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) training program for parents of children with Prader Willi Syndrome (PWS) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) during the COVID-19 pandemic. There were five parents who completed a six-week online ACT parent training delivered asynchronously and synchronously followed by a two-week maintenance phase. Each session included specific topics and exercises which were: (a) values identification;(b) present moment awareness;(c) defusion;(d) the Matrix (moving toward/away);(e) committed action;and (f) self-care. Pretest and posttest measures were completed by the participants which assessed parental stress (Abidin, 1995;PSI-4-SF), psychological flexibility (Bond et al., 2011;AAQ-II), self-compassion (Neff et al., 2021;SC-SF) and child behaviors (Sparrow et al., 2016;VABS-3, Maladaptive Behavior Domain). To summarize the findings, participant data indicated improvements in parental stress, self-compassion, and psychological flexibility from pre- to post-intervention. Additionally, parent overt value directed behaviors increased from baseline through intervention and were maintained post-treatment. Child behavior outcomes varied across the children of parent participants but overall had an increasing trend for desired behavior and a decreasing trend for maladaptive behavior. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
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Mental health difficulties often start in childhood and the number of young people experiencing mental health difficulties is rising, particularly since the Covid-19 pandemic. School-based programmes have been identified as an effective way to provide support for young people and present an opportunity to offer universal programmes, which can increase equity of access, facilitate resilience and reduce stigma. Whilst there is an emerging evidence of the benefits of preventive mental health programmes delivered in schools, there is a need for more robust evidence and methodological rigour in the development and descriptions of these programmes. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is one approach that may be appropriate as a framework for preventing and reducing mental health difficulties in schools. This paper describes the content development of a UK-based universal school programme using ACT: the In-school Training in Emotional Resilience (InTER-ACT) programme. It describes the steps taken across the stages of content development, from planning the programme, delivering the programme in a school, receiving feedback and integrating the subsequent revisions. The final version of the programme, including summaries of session content, is provided. Consistent with an ACT ethos, the personal values of the researchers, and the influence of these on the programme are discussed, providing a novel integration of methodical detail and authentic, reflective practice. This article provides a transparent and detailed overview of the iterative processes involved in developing the content of an evidence-based pastoral care programme in a way that is systematic, rigorous and responsive to teacher and pupil feedback. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Pastoral Care in Education is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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Metaphor use in ACT is unique in that it is guided by Relational Frame Theory (RFT) and the idea that metaphors assist individuals in stepping outside traditional language traps to bridge the gap between their own previous knowledge/experiences and complex psychological concepts, such as cognitive defusion, in ACT. RFT specifically emphasizes the importance of limiting verbal language within treatment and increasing direct experience, including when using metaphors. Therefore, ACT practitioners are encouraged to increase sensory involvement with the metaphor to decrease reliance on language. However, this results in a myriad of ways in which sensory involvement is increased within ACT such as through more detailed language/guided imagery, using visual aids, and through physical engagement such as acting out the metaphor or using props with little empirical evidence to support doing so. This aim of this study was to empirically evaluate the effects of increased sensory involvement with metaphors in the context of digitally delivering an ACT-based coping skill with individuals experiencing distress related to COVID-19. Participants were randomized to one three metaphor conditions (verbal, visual, or physical) using the ?thoughts as clouds in the sky? metaphor for cognitive defusion, or to a distraction condition. The results showed that all conditions facilitated a reduction in urge to get rid of thoughts and a decrease in distress. However, actively engaging with the metaphor within the physical delivery condition resulted in the greatest improvements in the process of cognitive fusion for exposure to COVID-19 information to skill practice as compared to the remaining conditions. It also showed a difference in changes in distress between physical engagement with the metaphor and verbal engagement with the metaphor only during the same change period. This study provided initial support for RFT?s approach to metaphor use and ACT?s emphasis on experiential engagement with metaphors. Moreover, it lends support for the use of the ?thoughts as clouds in the sky? metaphor more generally and distraction that incorporates defusion exercises for delivery via a digital format. The study provides numerous avenues for future exploration of the experiential use of metaphors both empirically and within clinical practice. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
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Educators continue to experience stress and burnout, both of which have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and there continues to be a need to develop interventions that support not only educators' well-being, but a climate within school buildings that fosters psychological well-being for students and school staff alike. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is one promising approach to interventions for both educator and student psychological well-being. The present study sought to evaluate the effect of a low-dosage, online, and remotely delivered ACT intervention for educators on self-reported burnout, psychological flexibility, ACT knowledge, and frequency of use of ACT-consistent language while teaching in an alternative educational setting. The ACT-based intervention targeted the development of educator psychological flexibility, but the analysis provided an evaluation of non-targeted participants' use of ACT-consistent language in the classroom, as well. Results suggest an overall improvement in participants' self-reported burnout and psychological flexibility, an increase in participants' ACT knowledge following each phase of the study, and an increase in the frequency of ACT-consistent language for all participants following the onset of a feedback component. We discuss potential implications of practical ACT-based interventions for educators in an applied setting and related increases in ACT-consistent verbal stimuli within the classroom setting.
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Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a process-based, transdiagnostic approach to treatment that seeks to increase values-based, adaptive functioning (i.e., engaged living [EL]) in part through attenuating the impact of experiential avoidance (EA). The present case-series study examined EL and EA as mechanisms of change within a 10-week course of individual ACT delivered via a telehealth platform. Participants were two adult women with mental health concerns associated with clinically elevated EA. Throughout the study, we collected (a) daily self-monitored clinically relevant behaviors, (b) daily and weekly measures of EL and EA, and (c) pre-, mid-, post-treatment, and 3-month follow-up measures of psychopathology, quality of life, and ACT-related outcome variables. Results showed support for the efficacy of ACT, with both participants demonstrating slight improvements in clinically relevant behaviors, along with expected improvements in EL and EA. These favorable results were most pronounced for Participant 1. Results are discussed in the context of COVID-19-related adaptations (including telehealth), and within the framework of process-based ACT and its transdiagnostic applicability to a range of mental health concerns. [ FROM AUTHOR]
ABSTRACT
Objectives: Despite the transdiagnostic approach and the good cross-professional applicability, only few studies have examined the effects of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in a naturalistic clinic setting. This study aims to help closing this gap by investigating the effects of ACT in a psychiatric day hospital during COVID pandemic. It was investigated whether psychopathological symptomology decreased, and quality of life and general functioning improved with the treatment. Additionally, longitudinal effects were tested. Methods: Participants in this follow-up-design were 92 patients (64.1% female) of a psychiatric day hospital. Survey data of clinical symptoms, quality of life and global functioning were assessed at three time points (with admission, discharge, and 3 months after treatment). Differences between time points were tested using two-sided paired samples t-tests. Additionally, the reliability of change index (RCI) was calculated. Results: From pre-treatment to post-treatment, symptomology decreased significantly (d = 0.82-0.99, p < 0.001), and global functioning as well as quality of life increased significantly (d = 0.42-1.19, p < 0.001). The effects remained relatively stable, with no significant change between post-treatment and follow-up. The difference between pre-treatment and follow-up was significant for clinical symptoms, physical and psychological wellbeing, and global quality of life (d = 0.43-0.76, p < 0.007). Conclusion: The significant and sustained improvement in all measures indicates that patients are benefiting from the treatment. Since the trial was neither randomized nor controlled, effects have to be interpreted with caution. Possible influences of the pandemic are discussed. Clinical trial registration: http://www.drks.de/DRKS00029992, identifier DRKS00029992.
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Background: The provision of pain management programmes (PMPs) changed substantially in response to the COVID-19 pandemic with virtual delivery implemented in many services. Little is known about patient selection processes for virtual PMPs and how this might differ from in-person programmes. The aim of this audit was to document the patient selection process for PMPs at a speciality pain service prior to and during the pandemic. Methods: This retrospective audit used data from consecutive patients attending a multidisciplinary assessment to determine the suitability of a PMP. Anonymized data were extracted from assessment letters and hospital records in the months prior to the pandemic (n =168) and during the start of the pandemic once the service began delivering virtual PMPs (n =171). Results: For the standard pain management pathway, most patients were offered a PMP option within the service before and during the pandemic, although a greater proportion of patients were offered treatment during the pandemic. For the neuromodulation pathway, most patients were offered a pre-neuromodulation PMP option, and this was similar before and during the pandemic. Psychosocial complexities and unwillingness to engage in a pain management approach that does not principally focus on pain reduction were the most common reasons that patients were not offered a programme. Discussion: This audit points to a pattern of more inclusive assessment outcomes within our service over time and particularly during the pandemic. Offering a range of in-person and virtual PMPs can meet a wider range of patient need. Research is needed to understand how to best assess and match patients with the breadth of treatment delivery formats now available.
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In the absence of published quantitative data on resilience and mental health in the UK urology trainees, this paper analyses the 2018 and 2021 General Medical Council National Training Surveys with regard to the outcomes of seven work-related questions for all trainees and at all stages of training. The answers to these questions are used as a proxy for burnout levels in urology trainees and also to understand the effect of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on training. In addition, the extrinsic and intrinsic factors that may influence a urological trainee's performance are reviewed as these can act as negative drivers on personal and professional performance. The use of a trainee's reflective practice and emotional intelligence are promoted to allow early diagnosis of burnout and prompt institution of viable treatment options. Level of Evidence: 2b Copyright © British Association of Urological Surgeons 2022.
ABSTRACT
While nurses generally report high levels of burnout (The Joint Commission, 2020), often due to the post-traumatic stress associated with nursing, the International Council of Nurses (2021) noted an increase in the number of nurses reporting burnout during COVID-19. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) has been suggested as an intervention strategy for burnout as psychological flexibility, a key outcome of ACT, is correlated with lower burnout among nurses. The goal of this study was to examine whether psychological flexibility moderated the relationship between COVID-19-specific post-traumatic stress and burnout. Fifty-three nurses from the United States completed a survey that measured their levels of burnout, secondary-traumatic stress, COVID-19-specific post-traumatic stress, and psychological flexibility, as well as a variety of demographic and COVID-19 related factors. Results of a moderation analysis indicated that, while there was a significant, positive correlation between COVID-19-specific post-traumatic stress and burnout, psychological flexibility did not significantly moderate that relationship. These results are vital for clinicians and organizations dedicated to helping nurses, indicating that a commonly-used method for reducing and preventing burnout would likely not be time or cost-effective for nurses during a global health crisis such as COVID-19. It is possible that this study?s small sample size contributed to the non-significant findings and brings into question the generalizability of this study to larger groups of nurses. Future research ought to focus on whether there is enough nuance between the questionnaires used to measure the general post-traumatic stress associated with nursing and event-specific post-traumatic stress, such as that associated with COVID-19. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)