Efficacy of acceptance and commitment therapy on psychological rehabilitation in cancer patients treated with proton and heavy ion therapy: a non-randomized controlled trial

Objective: To develop an appropriate intervention utilizing acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) tailored specifically for cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy, and to investigate its impact on hope, psychological resilience, psychological flexibility, and psychological distress among cancer patients receiving proton and heavy ion therapy.

Methods: Eighty participants were allocated into an intervention group (n = 40) or a control group (n = 40) based on their admission time. The control and intervention groups underwent a 3-week health education program, with the intervention group additionally participating in a 3-week, 6-session acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) group psychological intervention. Discrepancies in hope levels, psychological resilience, psychological flexibility, and psychological distress between the two groups were assessed at baseline, post-intervention, and a 3-month follow-up using linear mixed-effects analysis (LMM).

Results: LMM analyses revealed that at the end of the intervention, scores for hope and psychological resilience were higher in the intervention group compared to the control group (P = 0.025, P = 0.003), and scores for psychological flexibility were lower in the intervention group (P = 0.001). Furthermore, at the 3-month follow-up, HHI scores remained higher in the intervention group compared to the control group (P = 0.015). In contrast, scores for psychological flexibility and psychological distress were lower in the intervention group (P = 0.001, P = 0.001). These differences persisted even after adjusting for baseline values.

Conclusion: A psychological intervention program based on the ACT model of treatment helps to promote psychological recovery in cancer patients with radiotherapy. Evidence is provided for the effectiveness of positive clinical psychological interventions.

Trial registration: The study was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2300068349) on 15th February, 2023.