The objective of the study was to analyse the effect of a psychological flexibility intervention programme based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on 36 family members of children with intellectual disabilities. The 6-PAQ (parental psychological flexibility), PSS-14 (perceived stress), GHQ-12 (psychological health), and WBSI (suppression of unwanted thoughts) were used as measurement instruments before the programme (pre), after (post), and at follow-up (after two months). Possible change in family interactions due to the family intervention was also assessed through self-monitoring. A decrease in psychological inflexibility, a reduction in stress, an improvement in psychological well-being, and a reduction in the tendency to suppress thoughts and emotions were observed after the programme. Furthermore, the effects seem to extend to family interactions, with an increase in positive interactions and a decrease in negative ones. The study leads us to think about the importance of psychological flexibility in children with chronic conditions as a process that mediates the impact of stress and family well-being.

The objective of the study was to examine the relationship between psychological flexibility, perceived stress, and psychological heath in relatives of people with a disability diagnosis. 151 relatives completed an online questionnaire that included 6-PAQ (parental psychological flexibility), PSS (perceived stress), GHQ-12 (psychological health) and WBSI (suppression of unwanted thoughts). The results showed significant relationships between the four measured variables. A bimodal distribution was observed in the variables related to psychological flexibility. The multiple regression showed that difficulties in self as context, committed actions and defusion explain a high percentage of the variance of parental stress and general psychological health. The study provides new evidence to consider psychological flexibility as a mediating variable in psychological well-being. The presented data served as the basis for the development of an ACT-based intervention protocol and the implementation of a clinical trial for relatives of children with disabilities.

The purpose of this study was to examine how 14 parents of children with autism and intellectual impairments responded to an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)-based psychological flexibility intervention programme. A randomised clinical trial was conducted. Parents were randomly assigned to the training programme group (n = 8) or waiting list group (n = 6). The treatment effect was measured using the 6-PAQ, PSS-14, GHQ-12, and WBSI questionnaires. Changes in interactions were assessed through self-recording, including a baseline to observe the previous functioning. Measures were taken before and after the application of the intervention programme and three months later. After that, the control group was switched to the psychological flexibility programme condition. After the programme’s implementation, we could see a reduction in stress and the tendency to suppress unwanted private events. The impacts also appeared to apply to family interactions, resulting in a rise in positive interactions and a decrease in unfavourable ones. The results led us to think about the importance of psychological flexibility for the parents of children with chronic conditions, facilitating a reduction in the emotional impact derived from parenting and the emission of behaviours that promote the harmonious development of the diagnosed child.

Se describe un protocolo de intervención de 5 sesiones basado en la Terapia de Aceptación y Compromiso (ACT) dirigido a estudiantes universitarios que presentan miedo a hablar en público (MHP) y promueve los procesos centrales de ACT para el fomento de la flexibilidad psicológica. Dichos procesos son abordados durante la intervención a través de un entrenamiento que combina la exposición en vivo o mediante realidad virtual (RV) desde la perspectiva de la aceptación psicológica. Se presentan los resultados de la aplicación de las dos modalidades del protocolo en sendas estudiantes universitarias que reflejaron reducciones clínicamente significativas del MHP y la ansiedad social. Se concluye que la adaptación de los métodos clínicos de ACT en el ámbito del MHP en combinación con la RV puede suponer un avance significativo en el abordaje de este problema en el ámbito académico.