Lived experience of ACT for Long Term Conditions DRAFT V1 12.04.2022
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring the lived and embodied experience of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Long Term Health Conditions: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis
IRAS ID
306947
Contact name
Paula Nolan
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Edinburgh
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
The proposed study aims explore if the process of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) impacts on the embodied experience of living with a Long Term Health Condition (LTC).
Up to 30% of the general population in the United Kingdom have at least one LTC. Being diagnosed with a LTC can evoke many emotions such as frustration, sadness, anger, tiredness, and defeat. Individuals with LTC’s are at higher risk of mental health difficulties such as depression and anxiety. This can, in turn, impact on their ability to self-mange such conditions, leading to a cycle of distress and worsening of physical symptoms. Research has shown that living with certain LTC’s and chronic pain can change how people experience their body, influencing self-perception. This concept is referred to in the literature as embodiment. It is underpinned by the belief that the mind and body are intertwined and situated within personal and societal contexts.
Previous qualitative research suggests that the embodied experience of individuals with LTC’s and chronic pain can be disharmonious, all-consuming and feel separate from their real self. Rehabilitation and intervention should thus aim for integration of the preferred self, and the actuality of the body through acceptance to foster a valued self, to live a meaningful life despite physical limitations. Body awareness is a key element in mindfulness-based interventions, which have been shown to improve psychological well-being outcomes for people with LTC’s along with pain acceptance and coping.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an empirical psychological intervention for people with LTC’s. It uses elements of mindfulness, acceptance, and valued behaviour strategies to facilitate contact with the present moment, regardless of unpleasant thoughts, feelings, or bodily sensations.
Participants with a diagnosed LTC, over the age of 18, who have recently completed a routinely delivered six-week structured ACT intervention in an NHS outpatient Clinical Health Psychology service in Scotland will be invited to take part in an individual semi-structured interview with the lead researcher (PN). The study will last for one year, until March 2023REC name
Wales REC 6
REC reference
22/WA/0144
Date of REC Opinion
11 May 2022
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion