Purpose: The systematic review summarised the research investigating
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) with older adults. The empirical
study explored psychosocial adjustment patterns to a diagnosis of mild
cognitive impairment, a condition characterised by memory or thinking
problems.
Method: The review included 14 studies identified through database searches
using predefined eligibility criteria. The empirical study employed a cross-sectional
design. Thirty-five participants completed a short cognitive
assessment and a series of questionnaires measuring perceptions of MCI,
cognitive fusion (i.e. how caught up someone is with their thoughts), anxiety,
depression and quality of life.
Results: The review found initial evidence to suggest that ACT is an
acceptable and effective intervention for reducing distress in older adults. The
empirical study found that threatening perceptions of MCI were more strongly
related to psychosocial adjustment outcomes than objective level of cognitive
impairment. The study also found evidence to suggest that cognitive fusion is
associated with adjustment outcomes in an MCI population.
Conclusions: The systematic review highlights the limited, but promising
evidence-base for the application of ACT with older adults. The review
emphasises the need for further research with improved methodological rigor.
Findings from the empirical study need to be replicated with a larger sample,
however the results indicate that psychological interventions such like ACT
could have utility for MCI patients with adjustment difficulties