EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF ACCEPTANCE AND COMMITMENT THERAPY ON PERCEIVED STRESS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FLEXIBILITY IN PSYCHIATRIC NURSES: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL

Abstract

Psychiatric nursing is inherently stressful due to the complexities of patient care and communication challenges. Effectively managing this stress is essential for enhancing nurses' well-being and improving the quality of care they provide. This study investigated the impact of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on perceived stress (PS) and psychological flexibility (PF) among psychiatric nurses. Seventy nurses from the Razi Psychiatric Center in Rawalpindi were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (n = 35) or a control group (n = 35). While the control group continued with standard care, the experimental group received eight 2-hour ACT training sessions in addition to routine interventions. Assessments, including demographic data, the Perceived Stress Scale, and the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (2nd Edition), were conducted before the intervention and one month after the final session. The findings indicated a significant reduction in PS (P = 0.002) and an increase in PF (P = 0.001) in the experimental group compared to the control group. These results suggest that ACT is an effective intervention for reducing perceived stress and enhancing psychological flexibility among psychiatric nurses. Implementing ACT in psychiatric settings could serve as a valuable strategy to improve nurses' mental well-being and resilience in high-stress environments.