Effectiveness of group acceptance and commitment therapy in treating depression for acute stroke patients

Abstract

Abstract Objectives To date, the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for acute stroke patients has not been well recognized. The study aimed to discover the effectiveness of group‐based ACT in treating depression for acute stroke patients. Methods We conducted a randomized controlled trial with 140 acute stroke patients with depression. The ACT intervention comprised seven sessions, of 45–60 min over 4 weeks. Data were collected pre‐ and post‐intervention and at 3‐month follow‐up, assessing depression, health‐related quality of life (HRQoL), psychological flexibility, cognitive fusion, sleep quality, and confidence. Results Overall, 99.3% of the included patients were assessed as having mild depression. The ACT intervention significantly reduced depression in acute stroke patients in comparison with the control group post‐intervention and at 3 months (partial η2=.306). Additionally ACT significantly improved HRQoL‐mental component summary, sleep quality, psychological flexibility, cognitive fusion, and confidence compared with control group. Conclusions ACT is effective in treating acute stroke patients with depression, and the efficacy was maintained at 3‐month follow‐up.

Keywords

• acceptance and commitment therapy
• acute stroke
• depression
• effectiveness
• nurse