Nursing Students' Experiences of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy-Based Psychoeducation to Improve Psychological Flexibility: Descriptive Qualitative Research

Objective: There is a lack of qualitative research that provides an in-depth understanding of how nursing students benefit from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy-based interventions, their psychosocial effects, the areas in which these benefits are concentrated, and the process of change. This study aims to examine in depth the experiences of nursing students who have participated in Acceptance and Commitment Therapybased psychoeducation to improve psychological flexibility, to provide a basis for future intervention research in the field of mental health, and to provide remedial strategies for the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy-based interventions. Material and Methods: The study has a descriptive qualitative design. The study included 22 nursing students who completed the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy-based psychoeducation program to improve psychological flexibility. Data in accordance with qualitative research methods, were collected through focus group interviews and analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Results: Three main themes were identified. The power of psychoeducation theme (1) includes the power of structure and content, the power of the group and the power of the leader. In the theme of reflections on psychoeducation (2), reflections on psychoeducation on individual and social life were handled. In the theme of suggestions for improvement (3), students have suggestions to improve interventional and acceptance and commitment therapy based research. Conclusion: Psychoeducation has reflections for students such as reduced distress, mindfulness, acceptance, values, and development of communication skills. Students have many suggestions for improvement to future interventions, such as increasing mindfulness exercises and producing alternatives to written forms.