Abstract
This session will present findings of the first study to explore lived experiences of family caregivers of people with dementia in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). Perceived benefits in ACT warrant more studies for diverse caregivers.
Primary Author and Speaker: Areum Han
Contributing Authors: Hon Yuen, Jeremy Jenkins
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is an evidence-based practice that can promote mental health and participation in meaningful activities through acceptance and mindfulness processes and behavior change processes for valued living (Hayes et al., 2012). Although studies for ACT have been conducted in varied populations, there are very limited studies conducted for family caregivers of persons living with dementia (PLWD), including studies that explored lived experiences of these caregivers in ACT. This phenomenological study was a part of a preliminary mixed-methods study, in which seven distressed family caregivers of PLWD (measured by the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21) participated in a ten-week videoconferencing ACT program. The interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) methodology, suitable for a small sample, was chosen to explore the lived experiences of these caregivers in ACT and perspectives regarding its impact on themselves (Smith et al., 2009). Individual, semi-structured interviews were conducted after the 10th session and analyzed using IPA. We used strategies to increase trustworthiness (e.g., triangulation). Two themes with six subthemes emerged. ACT helped caregivers gain renewed strength (theme 1) by: being equipped with resources to use under distress (subtheme 1a); being self-compassionate and taking care of myself (subtheme 1b); and being more patient with PLWD (subtheme 1c). ACT was a journey toward acceptance and values-based living (theme 2), through which caregivers could: acknowledge, observe, and accept their thoughts and situations (subtheme 2a); give them power over unhelpful thoughts and difficult situations (subtheme 2b); and live a values-based life (subtheme 2c). This was the first study that explored lived experiences of family caregivers of PLWD in ACT. Further studies are needed to understand the lived experiences of diverse caregivers (e.g., male caregivers) and to explore sustained benefits of ACT.
Hayes, S. C., Pistorello, J., & Levin, M. E. (2012). Acceptance and commitment therapy as a unified model of behavior change. The Counseling Psychologist, 40(7), 976–1002. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000012460836
Smith, J., Flowers, P., & Larkin, M. (2009). Interpretative phenomenological analysis: Theory, method, and research. London, England: Sage Publications.