NCT06221189

ACT-CSP for Family Caregivers of Palliative Care Patients

An Acceptance and Commitment Therapy - Caregiver Support Program (ACT-CSP) for Family Caregivers of Patients Receiving Palliative Care: A Feasibility Study

• Status: Withdrawn
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 0 (actual)
• Sponsor: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The goal of the study is to test the feasibility, acceptability and preliminary efficacy of an acceptance and commitment therapy for supporting caregiver programme (ACT-CSP) on reduction of caregiver burden, anxiety and depressive symptoms and enhancement of caregiving self-efficacy, resilience and quality of life by ACT when compared to usual care, for caregivers of palliative care patients.

Detailed description

This study will employ a pilot randomized controlled trial recruiting caregivers of palliative care patients to receive either a 3-week acceptance and commitment therapy for supporting caregiver programme (ACT-CSP) plus usual care (n = 15) or usual care only (n = 15). The components of acceptance and commitment therapy process will be emphasized in the intervention programme, which include perspective taking, self-as-context and defusion (i.e. recognizing worry thoughts as thoughts only), identifying values and acceptance of present-moment experience with respect to the values, and committed action. The ACT-CSP will be delivered by a trained ACT facilitator. Participants will be followed up at Week 6 and Week 8 after recruitment to collect data for assessing the study objectives.

Conditions

• Caregiver Burden

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	ACT-CSP	The ACT treatment will consist of three 45 to 60-min weekly sessions to be delivered to the caregiver in an individual format via online videoconferencing application e.g. ZOOM or WhatsApp within 3 weeks. The ACT-CSP can be delivered via face-to-face on request. Each session has a specific content with pre-planned materials and mindfulness exercises and metaphors. Psychological-based homework will be assigned at the end of each session. The components of ACT process will be emphasized in the intervention programme, which include perspective taking, self-as-context and defusion (i.e. recognizing worry thoughts as thoughts only), identifying values and acceptance of present-moment experience with respect to the values, and committed action.

Timeline

• Start date: 2024-03-01
• Primary completion: 2024-09-01
• Completion: 2024-12-01
• First posted: 2024-01-24
• Last updated: 2024-06-20