Acceptance and Commitment Therapy after childbirth: A case series
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for the management of postpartum psychological difficulties: A Hermeneutic Single-Case Efficacy Design Series
IRAS ID
335788
Contact name
Danielle De Boos
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Nottingham
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 28 days
Research summary
Perinatal psychological difficulties are widespread, representing a significant public health concern. Some have suggested that Acceptance and Commitment Therapy might help manage perinatal psychological difficulties, since it has been used in other populations successfully. So far, only group Acceptance and Commitment Therapy interventions have been developed, and researchers have been unable to fully determine if and how these interventions work.
This study will be funded by the University of Nottingham.
Through a series of case studies, we aim to understand whether and how Acceptance and Commitment Therapy can improve wellbeing after childbirth. If our intervention can target postpartum psychological difficulties efficiently, it might be tested further and eventually become an evidence-based tool used in clinical practice.
Participants will be recruited from a perinatal mental health team in Nottinghamshire. We are looking for participants who:
• speak English fluent enough to enable participation;
• gave birth in the last 12 months;
• are aged 18 or over;
• have full capacity;
• report struggling with their mental health after birth; and
• have access to the Internet.
Participants will be approached by someone from their care team, and if they are interested, the researcher will email them a participant information sheet and consent form. Those who consent to participating will receive an online questionnaire pack via email, containing questions about various psychological symptoms and their relationship with their baby. Later, we will invite participants to take part in a one-to-one, ten-week remote therapy process. We will ask participants to complete some short questionnaires weekly, and after the final session, we will also ask them to complete the initial questionnaires again. A week later, we will invite participants to participate in a 45-minute interview with another researcher about their experience of therapy. All sessions and interviews will be audio or video recorded to allow for analysis.
Lay summary of study results: The study aimed to explore whether and how Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can help people cope with their mental health better after childbirth.Three adult participants, recruited from a perinatal mental health team, completed a ten-week ACT intervention (one-to-one therapy) remotely. They filled in some questionnaires before and after the therapy, as well as at the end of each session. After finishing therapy, participants were also invited to take part in a 45-minute interview about their experiences of therapy. All sessions and interviews were audio or video recorded to allow for analysis.
Our results suggested that two out of three participants showed reliable and clinically significant improvements in their mental health based on questionnaire scores measuring things like anxiety, distress, psychological flexibility, and wellbeing. The third participant’s scores stayed about the same.
When asked what they thought brought about these changes, participants mostly credited the ACT techniques they learned - such as mindfulness, thought defusion, and acceptance. However, other common factors in psychotherapy (which are not specific to ACT), such as the positive and supportive therapeutic relationship, also played an important role. In addition, some people felt that changes in their personal circumstances (for example, returning to work or becoming more comfortable in their role as a parent) also contributed to their progress.
Overall, these findings tell us that ACT can help people cope with their mental health better after childbirth. Improvements seem to come from a mix of ACT-specific skills, common factors such as the therapeutic relationship, and life changes outside therapy.
REC name
East Midlands - Leicester Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/EM/0053
Date of REC Opinion
15 Apr 2024
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion