The link between stress, well-being, and psychological flexibility during an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy self-help intervention

• Published in: International journal of clinical and health psychology 2018-01, Vol.18 (1), p.60-68
• Main Authors: Wersebe, Hanna, Lieb, Roselind, Meyer, Andrea H., Hofer, Patrizia, Gloster, Andrew T.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acceptance and commitment therapy; Behavioral sciences; bienestar; Burnout; estrés; estudio ex post facto; Experiment; flexibilidad psicológica; Flexibility; Mental depression; Mental disorders; Mental health care; Occupational stress; Open access; Original article; Psychological flexibility; Psychopathology; Self help; Social psychology; Stress; terapia de aceptación y compromiso; Well-being
• ISSN: 1697-2600; 2174-0852
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijchp.2017.09.002

Background/Objective: Prolonged stress can overwhelm coping resources, leading people to seek mental health care. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is an intervention that enhances well-being and reduces distress, assumedly by means of increasing psychological flexibility (PF). We examined the association between a total increase in PF during an intervention and decreases in stress and increases in well-being during and after the intervention. Method: The intervention was a randomized controlled trial of an ACT-based self-help intervention. Participants were 91 individuals reporting elevated levels of work-related stress. Measurements were completed at preintervention, postintervention, and 3-month follow-up. Results: Structural equation models revealed that the total increase in PF during the intervention was negatively associated with a decrease in stress (b=-0.63, SE=0.14, p.05) following the intervention. Conclusions: Our study provides empirical support for decreasing stress and promoting well-being through ACT and emphasizes the potential of PF in promoting well-being. Antecedentes/Objetivo: El estrés prolongado puede inhibir los recursos de adaptación, llevando a las personas a solicitar servicios de salud mental. La Terapia de Aceptación y Compromiso (ACT) es una intervención que fomenta el bienestar y reduce la ansiedad, presuntamente mediante el aumento de la flexibilidad psicológica (PF). Examinamos la asociación entre un aumento total en PF durante una intervención y el descenso del estrés y el aumento del bienestar durante y después de la intervención. Método: En un ensayo aleatorio controlado de una intervención de autoayuda con base en ACT participaron 91 individuos con niveles elevados de estrés laboral. Completaron mediciones pre, post y seguimiento a tres meses. Resultados: Modelos de ecuaciones estructurales revelaron que el aumento total en PF durante la intervención está negativamente asociado a la reducción del estrés (b=-0,63, SE=0,14, p0,05) después de la intervención. Conclusiones: Se proporciona base empírica de