Awards for 2017-2018:
Elena Ballantyne, Psy.D., St. Joseph Healthcare Hamilton and McMaster University
Evaluating the Effectiveness for a Modified Intervention Group for Psychiatric Illness and Cognitive Impairment
Summary
The purpose of this research is to determine if a mindful meditation and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) group, called the MINDful ACTion Group, is helpful for people with a mental health condition and problems with their thinking skills (e.g. attention, memory). For this group, traditional mindfulness/ACT exercises have been made easier to do, e.g. shorter meditation, guided videos and CDs, more hands-on techniques, and participants will be taught strategies to help remember to do home practice and to address barriers to living a value-based life. Little is known about how effective these kinds of changes to mindfulness/ACT interventions are, particularly for those with a severe mental illness. We predict that participants will report higher levels of mindfulness skills/acceptance, improved ability to engage in meaningful activities despite intense emotions, greater acceptance, and lower levels of emotional distress following the mindfulness group. We also want to know why group is helpful. To do so, participants will complete paper-and-pencil questionnaires each week about acceptance and mindfulness skills. We will also ask open-ended questions during weekly phone calls about successes/barriers to using skills. Groups will be small, 6-8 people per group for a total of 32 participants who must have a formal mental health diagnosis and concerns about their thinking skills. In order to understand the concerns and needs of the participants, the group members will complete a brief assessment of their thinking skills before the study begins, and complete questionnaires about mindfulness/acceptance, thinking skills, and emotions before and after their participation. The group will meet 90 minutes each week over 10 weeks. Two booster sessions will be offered at 1 month and 2 months to refresh skills. If successful, the group will offer mindfulness/ACT interventions for individuals who may not otherwise be able to participate due to cognitive impairment.
Karoly Schlosser, Institute of Management Studies, Goldsmiths, University of London, and Frank W. Bond, Ph.D., Institute of Management Studies, Goldsmiths, University of London
Acceptance Commitment Training to Improve the Performance and Well-being of Astronauts and Flight Controllers of the European Space Agency for Long-duration Space Missions.
Summary
Applied psychology in space exploration is becoming vital (Vakoch, 2011) as humans are preparing to take the next leap to explore space and establish colonies on other planets and moons. These endeavours will require significantly longer missions and so it is crucial for astronauts to perform outstandingly, whilst maintaining their psychological well-being and performance in situations that have not yet been fully examined. In order to successfully accomplish mission outcome in such extreme and isolated environments astronauts and their team need to remain resilient in supporting each other and addressing unexpected issues. We believe that Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and mindfulness meditation, underpinned by over two decades of empirical research, is wellplaced to improve the psychological and behavioural skills needed for such demanding missions. ACT is a leading-edge form of cognitive-behavioural therapies (CBTs); research clearly shows that ACT improves mental health, productivity, prosocial behavior and innovation by increasing people’s psychological flexibility: people’s ability to pursue their important goals, even when they experience challenging thoughts, feelings, fears, and emotions. The application of ACT incorporates mindfulness as a key therapeutic skill; it is an enhanced awareness of the present moment in an open and non-judgemental way.Its practice and effectiveness are increasingly being seen in clinical, educational, financial, media and public sectors to enhance human benefits. It is for these reasons, amongst others, that we believe that ACT could benefit astronauts who face unique and continual environmental and biopsychosocial challenges.