Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)-enhanced communication skills: development and evaluation of a novel training...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Psychology
• Healthcare Professional Training

Background:

• Psychological suffering is a common, unmet need in cancer care.
• Nurses and allied health professionals often manage distress with limited training in psychological frameworks like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a single-day training program for cancer care professionals.
• To shift clinical communication regarding psychological distress towards an ACT-consistent approach.

Main Methods:

• Three training iterations were conducted in UK and Australian cancer care settings.
• 116 professionals participated; 53 completed evaluations at 2-week and/or 3-month follow-ups.
• Data collection included self-report surveys with quantitative and qualitative feedback.

Main Results:

• 73% found the training relevant at 2 weeks; 46% felt better equipped at 3 months.
• Positive changes in communication behaviors and attitudes were reported.
• Training did not increase stress or negatively impact well-being, but psychological flexibility did not significantly improve.

Conclusions:

• The ACT-consistent communication training is acceptable and applicable in supportive and palliative cancer care.
• Enhanced experiential content may be needed to improve psychological flexibility.
• Robust train-the-trainer models are recommended for future delivery.