Acceptance and commitment therapy program for distressed adults with a primary brain tumor: a case series study

Area of Science:

• Neuro-oncology
• Clinical Psychology
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Adults with primary brain tumors (BT) frequently experience psychological distress, including anxiety and depression.
• There is a significant lack of evidence-based psychological interventions specifically tested for this patient population.

Observation:

• A manualized Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)-based program was developed for BT patients experiencing anxiety and/or depression.
• A proof-of-concept study utilized a case series of four adult BT patients to preliminarily assess the program's efficacy.

Findings:

• Three out of four participants no longer met diagnostic criteria for anxiety and/or depressive disorders post-intervention.
• Symptom improvements were maintained at a 3-month follow-up assessment.
• The fourth participant, with a history of psychiatric conditions, showed stabilization of anxiety and depressive symptoms.

Implications:

• These preliminary findings suggest promising clinical utility for ACT-based interventions in distressed BT survivors.
• Further investigation using larger, controlled trials is warranted to confirm the efficacy of these tailored psychological interventions for brain tumor patients.