H047 A qualitative exploration of acceptance and commitment therapy as an intervention for caregivers to those with Huntington’s disease

<h3>Background</h3> Previous research has evidenced that relatives of people with Huntington’s disease (HD), who are often caregivers, experience high levels of distress. This includes symptoms such as depression, anxiety and self-harm. Often HD caregivers feel isolated, lack sufficient coping strategies and struggle to find psychological interventions that are effective for their unique needs. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can help caregivers focus on detaching from difficult thoughts and taking action to live more in line with their values, benefiting mental wellbeing. <h3>Aims</h3> This study qualitatively evaluates participants’ experiences of a new online group ACT programme (‘Keeping Yourself in Mind’; KYIM) for HD caregivers, with a view to developing and improving the current programme based on the findings. <h3>Methods</h3> We interviewed HD caregivers who had attended the 8-week online group ACT programme. Participants were asked about their experiences of KYIM in individual semi-structured interviews. Interview data is presently being analysed via reflexive thematic analysis. <h3>Results</h3> Preliminary analysis indicates that participants had positive experiences of KYIM and its impact on wellbeing. All participants suggested that the intervention would be helpful for other caregivers too. Initial themes encapsulated the importance of developing connections between the group members, the usefulness and necessity of tailoring content to the HD community and their unique experiences, and how participants have integrated the work into their lives post-intervention. <h3>Conclusions</h3> KYIM appears useful as a new intervention for the HD caregiver community, offering a means to improve wellbeing. The findings will inform further adaptations to the programme going forward.