Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Processes of Change for Caregivers

Alissa Goldstein, Psy.D. Program in Counseling Psychology  (Sponsoring faculty member: Dr. Sarah Hastings)

The majority of people providing assistance to sick and disabled loved ones are women, and they experience higher levels of stress and depression than people who are not caregivers. Recent studies have shown that Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an effective treatment for reducing caregivers’ anxiety, depression, and caregiver burden. ACT process studies revealed that mindfulness and values components of the therapy improved outcomes at similar rates. This study seeks to determine the impact of separate processes used in ACT on caregivers' depression, anxiety, and perceived burden. It will also explore whether committed action and values mediate the relation between mindfulness components of ACT and improved outcomes. It is hypothesized that caregivers utilizing any of the six core components of ACT will have lower rates of depression, anxiety, and caregiver burden at similar rates. Additionally, it is expected that values and committed action will mediate the relation between mindfulness and superior functioning. Two hundred caregiver participants will be recruited from online caregiving support groups and listservs to complete a survey including measures of acceptance, present moment awareness, self as context, defusion, values, and committed action. Data will be analyzed using multiple regression to determine significant processes and mediators of ACT.

2015-2016 Kemp Award Recipients' Research

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