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Training health professionals to support patients with appearance-affecting conditions: A pan-European evaluation of an acceptance and commitment therapy approach to patient communication

Zucchelli, Fabio; Persson, Martin; Argyrides, Marios; Bigaki, Maria; Donnelly, Olivia; Drevenšek, Martina; Holeva, Vasaliki; Jagomägi, Triin; Mousoulidou, Marilena; Nguyen, Van Thai; Parlapani, Eleni; Plut, Alja; Williamson, Heidi

Training health professionals to support patients with appearance-affecting conditions: A pan-European evaluation of an acceptance and commitment therapy approach to patient communication Thumbnail


Authors

Martin Persson

Marios Argyrides

Maria Bigaki

Olivia Donnelly

Martina Drevenšek

Vasaliki Holeva

Triin Jagomägi

Marilena Mousoulidou

Van Thai Nguyen

Eleni Parlapani

Alja Plut

Heidi Williamson Heidi3.Williamson@uwe.ac.uk
Associate Professor in Applied Health Research



Abstract

AbstractMultidisciplinary health professionals (HPs) are involved in supporting patients who have conditions that affect their appearance. With appearance-associated distress common in this group, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and enhanced communication skills both show effectiveness in helping patients adjust to their conditions. Multidisciplinary HPs are perfectly placed to provide low-level psychological support as paraprofessionals. We present the real-world evaluation of a training programme, ACT Now, which was delivered via the train-the-trainer model to 149 multidisciplinary HPs in six European countries. Trainees completed a 16-item knowledge, attitude and practice survey covering psychoeducation on appearance concerns, ACT applied to the patient group and communication skills, at pre-training, post-training and at 3-or-6-month follow-up. Findings show that trainees’ confidence consistently improved in understanding specific facets of appearance concerns and ACT processes, with largely positive changes in other facets, skewed towards delivery nations in which psychologists delivered the training. Patient communication skills generally improved, though again these were more pronounced in psychologist-led countries. However, an absence of significant improvements in ACT comprehension suggests a challenge in transmitting the ACT model to HPs. Providing more initial training to non-psychologist trainers and embedding post-training skills practice for trainees may help reinforce the ACT component of the training.

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Jul 14, 2023
Online Publication Date Oct 9, 2023
Publication Date Jul 13, 2023
Deposit Date Oct 4, 2023
Publicly Available Date Oct 16, 2023
Journal European Journal of Health Communication
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 4
Issue 3
Pages 53-71
DOI https://doi.org/10.47368/ejhc.2023.304
Public URL https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/11151629

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