Acceptability of ProACTive intervention
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A mixed-methods acceptability study of ‘ProACTive,’ an early acceptance and commitment therapy intervention to help burns patients adjust to changes to appearance
IRAS ID
339105
Contact name
Laura Shepherd
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
Is a new early intervention to help burns patients adjust to changes to their appearance acceptable?
Why?
The study aims to learn if a new early intervention following burns is acceptable to patients. The intervention aims to help patients cope with the changes to their appearance or how their body looks. No other early interventions exist. If the intervention is acceptable and helpful to patients, it could be offered routinely in burns services to support patients.What?
The new intervention is called 'ProACTive.' It is based on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), a talking therapy. ACT is known to be helpful for a range of emotional difficulties.Who?
Fifteen adult burns patients who are admitted to hospital with burns will complete the intervention.Patients who decline the intervention but consent to participating by sharing a reason for declining and their demographic/burn injury information to be collected will also take part.
Where?
Patients will be recruited from Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.How?
Patients will be invited to start the intervention when they are admitted to hospital. If patients do not wish to complete the intervention but consent to explaining why, they will be invited to answer one question (one minute). If patients wish to complete the intervention, they will be invited to complete four questionnaires before and after (15 minutes). The intervention involves up to five 30-minute sessions. Patients will learn ways of responding to upsetting thoughts, worries or feelings about their appearance. After every session, they will be invited to complete a questionnaire about the session (five minutes). If the patient chooses to end the intervention before it is complete, they will be invited to answer one question about why (one minute). After the intervention ends, patients will be invited to an interview to share feedback about the intervention.Summary of results
Burns cause changes to appearance which can be temporary (wounds) or longer-lasting/permanent (skin colour changes and scars). Soon after injury, patients can feel concerned or distressed about how their burns look, or how they might look in the future.This study investigated whether a newly developed talking therapy called ProACTive (based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) was acceptable to burns patients and whether it helped them adjust to changes to their appearance caused by their burns. The intervention was offered to patients during their hospital admission, within one month of hospital discharge or within one month of their injury. Patients did not have to be concerned or distressed about the appearance of their burns to take part.
The findings showed that the intervention was acceptable to patients. Nearly one in five patients admitted to hospital, and one in 12 patients receiving outpatient care for their burns, took part. This resulted in a sample of 13 adults (eight women and five men, aged 20-78 years). The intervention involved up to five 30-minute sessions, delivered by a Clinical Psychologist either in person or virtually. Over two-thirds of those who took part completed all of the intervention.
After ending the intervention, patients were asked questions to explore how they felt about it. Common themes in the patients’ answers were identified. Before, during and after the intervention, patients also completed questionnaires to explore whether the intervention had been helpful.Participants liked it, understood what the intervention aimed to do, thought it took minimal effort to complete and were confident they could use the techniques they had been taught. They generally thought it was positive that the intervention was introduced during hospital admission/soon after injury and they valued the techniques and therapeutic relationship it provided. Participants who had no or mild concerns about how their burns looked thought the intervention would be more helpful for those who had higher levels of concern or distress.
When asked how helpful the intervention had been, participants gave positive ratings. They thought it was helpful by exploring the emotional impact of how their burns looked, teaching them ways to respond to upsetting thoughts or feelings and being kind to themselves, and preparing them for being around other people. Two-thirds of participants had less distress about how their burns looked after the intervention. Participants also had more positive feelings and fewer negative feelings after the intervention.
‘ProACTive’ is an acceptable early intervention after burns, especially for those who are concerned or distressed about how their burns look. Further research is needed to examine how effective it is.
REC name
London - Bromley Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/LO/0402
Date of REC Opinion
5 Jun 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion