Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for Depression in Patients with Advanced Cancer: A Case of Nairobi Hospice, Kenya

Despite existing interventions, depression remains a significant concern for patients with advanced cancer.The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of ACT in treating depression among this population at Nairobi Hospice in Kenya.Sixty patients with advanced cancer were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (ACT) (n = 30) or the control group (n = 30).The primary outcome was depression, measured using the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) at baseline and post-intervention.Additionally, psychological flexibility was assessed using the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire II (AAQ-II) in the intervention group only.The intervention consisted of 5 ACT sessions.The study revealed a statistically significant reduction in depression scores over time among participants who received ACT compared to the control group.Furthermore, ACT significantly increased psychological flexibility within the intervention group.This study suggests that ACT is a promising alternative intervention for managing depression in patients with advanced cancer.This finding highlights the potential of ACT to address both depression symptoms and psychological inflexibility, which can contribute to reduction in depression in this population.