ACT for Distress in Head and Neck Cancer Patients

Title: Acceptance and Commitment therapy for Individuals with Head and Neck Cancer Experiencing Psychological Distress. Head and neck cancer (HNC) patients are particularly vulnerable to experiencing psychological distress . The current guidelines from the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence are that cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) is to be offered to adults with a long-term physical health condition experiencing anxiety and depression. CBT has been shown to have several inadequacies for individuals with physical health conditions such as cancer. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) takes an alternative approach to CBT, aiming to change a person's interaction with their thoughts rather than suppress or alter thought content. Although studies indicate encouraging findings for the effectiveness of ACT for individuals with breast cancer; the HNC- transfer-ability of findings is yet untested, and there is a need to evaluate the replicability of ACT effects in people living with HNC, given the unique challenges inherent to the disease and its treatment. This study aims to inform clinical practise by using a hermeneutic single-case efficacy design (HSCED) to answer the following questions: 1. Is there evidence of psychological change after the introduction of the ACT intervention? 2. If present, are the changes attributable to (a) ACT components, (b) common factors, and/or (c) non-therapeutic factors? The study will involve recruiting three adults with HNC from specialist HNC psychology services. Each participant will have six individual sessions of ACT and complete various process and outcome questionnaires during sessions. Following the intervention, participants will have a semi-structured interview where their views of the therapy and any changes made will be explored. Two outcome measures will be posted to participants at 1-month and 3-month post intervention.