Abstract
The aim of the current study was to assess the feasibility, safety, and effectiveness of a newly developed Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) intervention developed specifically to address the unique context of pregnancy and parenthood. The intervention was delivered to women accessing a specialist Perinatal Community Mental Health Service (PCMHS). An open-label pilot study was conducted of an 8-week, group-delivered ACT intervention targeting women with moderate-to-severe mood and/or anxiety disorders during pregnancy and/or postpartum. Outcomes included session attendance rates, dropout rates, crisis/inpatient service use, and standardized symptom scales. Participant's responses to open-ended questions contained in an end of therapy questionnaire were analysed using thematic analysis. Seventy-four women were referred to the intervention with 65 (88%) completing treatment. The median number of sessions attended was 7. No women required input from crisis/inpatient services. All reported finding the intervention helpful. The implementation of ACT in daily life, therapist support, and group processes were cited as helpful aspects of the intervention. At post-treatment, there was a significant reduction in global distress (d=0.99) and depressive symptoms (d=1.05), and an increase in psychological flexibility (d=0.93). On the secondary outcome of global distress, 38% of women were classified as recovered, 31% had reliably improved, 27% remained the same, and 4% had reliably deteriorated. The delivery of ACT in a routine practice setting is feasible, safe, and effective. A randomized control trial (RCT) is needed to establish the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of this group-delivered ACT intervention. Group-delivered Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is acceptable for women with moderate-to-severe perinatal mood and/or anxiety disorders and can be feasibly delivered in a routine practice setting. The trans-diagnostic nature of ACT enables the concurrent treatment of depressive and anxiety symptoms within the same intervention which is particularly helpful in the perinatal context given the comorbidity of mood and anxiety disorders. With training and supervision, mental health practitioners without extensive education in the delivery of psychological therapies can facilitate the ACT group programme. As this was a feasibility study, there was no control group, adherence to the manual was not assessed, and the absence of a follow-up period limits our knowledge of the longer-term benefits of the ACT group programme.
Highlights
Introduction andThe priority of this session was to help attendees feel safe and normalize anxieties/worries
We found that the provision of an 8-week, group-delivered ACT intervention is both feasible and safe for women presenting to a specialist Perinatal Community Mental Health Service (PCMHS)
All women reported finding the intervention helpful, dropout rates were low, session attendance rates were high and no women required intervention from crisis or inpatient services during ACT treatment. These findings are important given the paucity of research examining the feasibility, safety, and effectiveness of psychological interventions for women presenting with moderate-tosevere mood and anxiety disorders during the perinatal period
Summary
The priority of this session was to help attendees feel safe and normalize anxieties/worries. An icebreaker exercise mindfulness opened the session, followed by basic housekeeping and an overview of the programme. A group contract was developed followed by an exercise that explored participants’ hopes/fears. ACT’s underlying theoretical model and evidence base was presented. The basic components of mindfulness were introduced and practiced (e.g., noticing, describing, and participating skills).
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