Rawlinson, C., Gould, R.L., McDermott, C.J. orcid.org/0000-0002-1269-9053 et al. (27 more authors) (2024) Experiences of acceptance and commitment therapy for people living with motor neuron disease (MND): a qualitative study from the perspective of people living with MND and therapists. The Cognitive Behaviour Therapist, 17. e36. ISSN 1754-470X
Abstract
Background: Motor neuron disease (MND) is a progressive, fatal, neurodegenerative condition that affects motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord, resulting in loss of the ability to move, speak, swallow and breathe. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is an acceptance-based behavioural therapy that may be particularly beneficial for people living with MND (plwMND). This qualitative study aimed to explore plwMND’s experiences of receiving adapted ACT, tailored to their specific needs, and therapists’ experiences of delivering it.
Method: Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with plwMND who had received up to eight 1:1 sessions of adapted ACT and therapists who had delivered it within an uncontrolled feasibility study. Interviews explored experiences of ACT and how it could be optimised for plwMND. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed and analysed using framework analysis.
Results: Participants were 14 plwMND and 11 therapists. Data were coded into four over-arching themes: (i) an appropriate tool to navigate the disease course; (ii) the value of therapy outweighing the challenges; (iii) relevance to the individual; and (iv) involving others. These themes highlighted that ACT was perceived to be acceptable by plwMND and therapists, and many participants reported or anticipated beneficial outcomes in the future, despite some therapeutic challenges. They also highlighted how individual factors can influence experiences of ACT, and the potential benefit of involving others in therapy.
Conclusions: Qualitative data supported the acceptability of ACT for plwMND. Future research and clinical practice should address expectations and personal relevance of ACT to optimise its delivery to plwMND.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © The Author(s), 2024. This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution and reproduction, provided the original article is properly cited. |
Keywords: | acceptability; acceptance and commitment therapy; motor neuron disease; qualitative |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health (Sheffield) > School of Medicine and Population Health |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE UNSPECIFIED DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE 16/81/01 NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR HEALTH RESEARCH 16/81/01 |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 13 Dec 2024 11:55 |
Last Modified: | 13 Dec 2024 11:55 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1017/s1754470x24000333 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:220741 |