Effectiveness of Internet-Based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Health Care Professionals
Background
Health care professionals often experience psychological distress, which can negatively affect patient care. Internet-based acceptance and commitment therapy (iACT) is a cost-effective and accessible way to improve mental health. However, there is not enough evidence on its effectiveness for health care professionals.
Objective
This study investigates how iACT affects stress, anxiety, and depression in health care professionals in China.
Methods
From October 2022 to February 2023, 108 health care professionals were recruited through WeChat. They were divided into two groups: one received a 6-week iACT program with therapist support (54 participants), while the other was a waitlist control group (54 participants). The iACT program included:
- 21 self-guided sessions with teaching videos, mindfulness practices, and journal writing.
- 7 live conferences for sharing experiences and discussing questions via WeChat.
We measured stress, anxiety, depression, burnout, and psychological flexibility using a popular online survey platform in China. We used statistical methods to compare the results between the two groups.
Results
Out of 108 participants, 68 (63%) completed the follow-up assessment after 10 weeks. Key findings include:
- The iACT group showed significant improvement in psychological distress scores.
- Improvements were maintained for 4 weeks after the program ended.
- The iACT group reported lower burnout levels at both 6 and 10 weeks compared to the control group.
- Higher psychological flexibility was observed in the iACT group at both follow-up points.
Conclusions
iACT effectively reduced psychological distress and burnout among health care professionals while improving psychological flexibility. These findings support the implementation of iACT in health care settings to enhance mental health.
Trial Registration
Chinese Clinical Trial Register ChiCTR2400093584; https://tinyurl.com/38werwsk.
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