ABSTRACT

Background: This study aimed to generate a grounded theory of change processes as experienced by people with psychosis who engaged in an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) group program. A secondary aim was to identify how participants described changes in their relationship to distress following the groups.

Methods: The study used a qualitative research methodology, grounded theory. This was used to explore emergent themes in the participants’ subjective experiences of group ACT delivered in community mental health services. The experience of the ACT group process was investigated for nine participants. Semi-structured interviews were used to explore how the group experience and the exercises, metaphors and skills promoted by ACT were used by participants in their daily lives.

Results: There were four main themes emerging from the interviews: awareness, relating differently, reconnection with life, leaning on others.

Conclusions: The participants all described experiencing subjective benefits from being involved in the ACT groups, along with perspectives on processes of change. These reports of changes were consistent with the model and extend our understanding of the lived experience of engaging in ACT for psychosis groups.

摘要

背景：本研究旨在产生一个关于变化过程的扎根理论，正如参与接受和承诺疗法 (ACT) 小组计划的精神病患者所经历的那样。第二个目的是确定参与者如何描述他们与小组之后的痛苦关系的变化。

方法：本研究采用定性研究方法，扎根理论。这用于探索参与者在社区心理健康服务中提供的团体 ACT 主观体验中的新兴主题。对 9 名参与者调查了 ACT 小组过程的经验。半结构化访谈用于探索参与者如何在日常生活中使用小组体验以及ACT所提倡的练习、隐喻和技能。

结果：访谈中出现了四个主要主题：意识、不同的联系、与生活的重新联系、依赖他人。

结论：参与者都描述了参与 ACT 小组的主观利益，以及对变革过程的看法。这些变化报告与模型一致，并扩展了我们对精神病群体参与 ACT 的生活经验的理解。