A trial of acceptance and commitment therapy for people with MND (COMMEND)
Thirteen branches and groups donated £26,830 towards this research study, which aims to show that Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) has a significant impact on the psychological well-being of people living with MND. It will also provide evidence-based guidance to the NHS to prove that this therapy is worth rolling out across their services.
“I was told I might have a year left, or I might have three. It made me think about the grandchildren and not seeing them grow up. So much was going through my head and I got really depressed”
Person living with MND
Project update: The team has developed the adapted ACT intervention (incorporating a patient workbook, therapist manual, videos and therapist training) through a series of workshops and interviews with people with MND, their caregivers and healthcare professionals.
Following a successful pilot trial, the team has started a larger trial with 188 people with MND to test how effective their intervention is at improving psychological health. Recruitment is well underway across seven sites, and more than twenty therapists have now been trained on using the intervention. In response to the pandemic, amendments to allow remote intervention are currently being developed.