A resilience training programme to improve nurses’ mental health

Acceptance and commitment therapy can help staff build psychological resilience by improving mindfulness skills and fostering values-based behaviour


Abstract
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a mindfulness-based approach that has recently emerged as a useful tool for improving mental health, and has been shown to be effective in the treatment of a wide range of psychological and behavioural problems. At City, University of London, an occupational health research team created an ACT-based workplace training programme, which was adopted by Northumbria Healthcare Foundation Trust to foster psychological resilience among its staff. This article explains what ACT-based training entails, how it can help nurses and how it is being used – with encouraging results – at the trust.

Citation: Jennings T et al (2017) A resilience training programme to improve nurses’ mental health. Nursing Times [online]; 113: 10, 22-26.

Authors: Teresa Jennings is consultant clinical psychologist at Northumbria Healthcare Foundation Trust; Paul E Flaxman is reader in organisational psychology at City, University of London; Kath Egdell is staff counsellor, Simon Pestell is clinical psychologist; Elaine Whipday is counselling psychologist; and Alison Herbert is CBT therapist, all at Northumbria Healthcare Foundation Trust.
This article has been double-blind peer reviewed
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