The efficacy of functional-analytic psychotherapy and acceptance and commitment therapy (FACT) for public employees

The literature is replete with evidence regarding the impact of psychological distress in the workplace. Traditionally, worksite interventions to enhance mental health have been carried out in groups. This study aimed to implement a brief individual program in the workplace through the combination of Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for Public Administration employees.

One hundred and six public employees from a Spanish city council completed pretest measures and forty-three met the inclusion criteria. The participants´ scores on distress, burnout, psychological flexibility, depression, anxiety and stress were examined in a pretest-posttest design with a waiting list control group and random assignment. Thirty-eight employees completed the intervention (FACT group= 19; Waiting list control group= 19). The intervention lasted three individual sessions using a protocol with the processes of FAP and ACT, resulting in a protocol named FACT.

The FACT group showed statistically significant improvements in distress, burnout, psychological flexibility and anxiety compared with the waiting list control group.

These results provide a breakthrough and initial support for the inclusion of FAP in the workplace along with the integration with brief ACT in individual sessions to improve employees’ mental health.