A systematic review of standalone cognitive defusion interventions, and an Empirical study of psychological flexibility, burnout and mental wellbeing in elite rugby athletes

McFarland, Sophie 2022. A systematic review of standalone cognitive defusion interventions, and an Empirical study of psychological flexibility, burnout and mental wellbeing in elite rugby athletes. ClinPsy Thesis, Cardiff University. Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) aims to improve an individuals’ quality of life through the development of ‘psychological flexibility’. This refers to a person’s ability to remain connected to the present moment, without getting caught up in thoughts of the past or future, so that they can behave in a way that is in line with their personal values. ACT helps people develop skills in six key areas to increase their psychological flexibility; these are acceptance, contact with the present moment, self as context, values, committed action and cognitive defusion. The first paper is a systematic review that explores that effectiveness of psychological interventions that use only cognitive defusion as a standalone intervention to improve mental health outcomes. Cognitive defusion involves recognising thoughts as simply words and images produced by the mind, rather than getting caught up in their content. The systematic search found 12 papers that satisfied inclusion criteria and were included in the review. The included studies used a variety of methodologies to provide cognitive defusion interventions, including single-sessions, single-techniques, traditional face-to-face therapy, therapeutic chatbots and mobile apps. The studies used outcome measures to assess a range of aspects of mental health and wellbeing, including anxiety, low mood and stress. The review found that cognitive defusion interventions can be effective in improving participants’ mental health outcomes, when compared to participants in control conditions who did not receive any intervention. However, there was little evidence in the reviewed studies to suggest that cognitive defusion was more effective than other types of therapeutic intervention. There was also limited evidence that the improvements seen following interventions were due to changes in levels of cognitive fusion or psychological flexibility, as would be expected if the interventions were addressing the underlying ACT processes. The clinical implications of this review should be considered with caution, as few studies involved participants who would be representative of people accessing mental health services. The second paper evaluated how psychological flexibility influenced mental wellbeing and burnout in a sample of UK-based elite rugby union athletes. Previous research looking at mental wellbeing or burnout in elite athletes has focused on how these factors influence their sporting performance. However, more recent shifts in public awareness of mental health and sport have led to an increased interest in methods of protecting mental health in elite athletes. Rugby union players may be exposed to uniquely stressful demands and experiences linked to their sport participation, but there remains little research focused on the factors involved in their mental wellbeing. Psychological flexibility has been shown to be important in protecting mental wellbeing and preventing burnout in people who are not elite athletes. This paper aimed to explore how psychological flexibility influenced burnout and mental wellbeing in elite rugby union athletes. A total of 87 UK-based elite rugby union athletes completed three questionnaires on psychological flexibility, athlete burnout and mental wellbeing. The study found a significant association between psychological flexibility and mental wellbeing, indicating that psychological flexibility had a large positive effect on wellbeing. However, there was no significant association between athlete burnout and mental wellbeing, as was initially hypothesised. In all, this study provided preliminary support for a focus on psychological flexibility in the protection and maintenance of mental wellbeing in elite rugby athletes. However, further research is required to assess the wider implications for clinical psychology in this area.

Item Type:	Thesis (DClinPsy)
Date Type:	Completion
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Schools > Psychology
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	22 September 2022
Last Modified:	20 Sep 2023 01:30
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/152743

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