WORK2021: Work beyond crisis. Abstract book - WORK I

Previous studies have shown that Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can be an effective treatment for many different types of psychological distress, such as depression and anxiety. ACT-based approaches have also been studied in working-life settings and used successfully, for example, in work-stress and burnout interventions. ACT has recently been the focus of many systematic reviews, but there has been as yet no systematic examination of ACT in the context of work. This is the research gap this overview aims to address.The overall objective of this study is to explore, through a systematic review of the literature, the potential of ACT-based methods for working-life purposes. The first aim of this study is to evaluate and assess the effects of work-related ACT interventions. Secondly, this study attempts to further investigate what explains the intervention effect and thus identify the possible mediator(s) and moderator(s) of the interventions. Thirdly, this study also aims to examine the validity of these work-related ACT interventions. The final aim of this study is to examine the measures and outcome variables used in the work-related ACT research.Data was retrieved from four databases – PubMed, PsychInfo, Scopus and Web of Science – by the author in spring 2021.Additional studies were identified by searching reference lists of full studies reviewed and analysing research resources on the website of the Association of Contextual Behavioural Science. Search terms included acceptance and commitment, psychological fl exibility, work*, job, occupation*, organisation*, manage*, stress*, strain, staff , employ*, leader, executive, burnout, career, absence. Studies were included in the review, if they were a) acceptance and commitment (therapy) -based and b) work-related. Studies exploring ACT outside work context were excluded from the review. Included studies were also required to focus on adults, and all intervention delivery formats were included. Studies considering a single theoreticalcomponent of ACT, focusing for example solely on mindfulness processes and failing to recognise value and commitment processes, were not included in the review. Both randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and non-randomised settings were included in the review. Studies included in the review were required to be peer-reviewed publications or, to reduce the risk for publication bias, doctoral dissertations. Manuscripts not in the English language were excluded from the review. Data was searched, screened, extracted and analysed by the researcher.The data extraction and analysis are in process and, therefore, the results of this systematic review will only be available by the end of June 2021. The synthesis of the reviewed literature is, however, anticipated to explain what role, if any, ACT-based methods can play in working life. It is additionally expected that identifying and assessing the usability and eff ectivity of ACTbased methods for working life will contribute towards a better understanding of the value of ACT for working-life purposes. In addition, it is assumed that this systematic review will provide interesting and novel insights into the potential of ACT for working-life skills, work-related stress and burnout, work-ability maintenance and wellbeing.