Living Well with Neurological Conditions: Clinical outcomes, insights and reflections on three years of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy group intervention

Abstract

The Living Well with Neurological Conditions Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) group workshops (Hill et al., 2017a) aim to assist outpatients with neurological conditions to cultivate greater psychological flexibility towards a more valued life. This service evaluation analyses aggregated clinical outcome data from seven Living Well interventions (2016 – 2019, N=39). We report improved self-reported outcomes in psychological flexibility (AAQ-II), value congruent-living (VQ), trait mindfulness (FFMQ) and overall psychological distress (CORE-10) between the first and final sessions. The stringent criterion for clinically significant reliable change in overall psychological distress was attained for 30.8 per cent of cases. These promising findings highlight the growing need for further research into ACT-based group interventions for individuals adjusting to the impact of neurological conditions.