Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in psycho-oncology. Background and review of research

Background: Cancer and its treatment are associated with numerous disease-related, treatment-related and psychosocial stress factors. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) represents a promising psycho-oncological approach due to its specific theoretical background. Objectives: The aim of the present work is to summarize and present the results of recent reviews and meta-analyses regarding ACT in psycho-oncology. Materials and methods: A nonsystematic literature search was performed in PubMed, GoogleScholar and Web of Science in November 2021. Inclusion criteria were (1) systematic review and/or meta-analysis on ACT, (2) only patients with cancer, (3) published in English, (4) publication in a peer-reviewed journal within the last 5 years. Results: The summary findings of the 6 included meta-analyses and reviews indicate the positive effects of ACT interventions in terms of increasing quality of life (QoL), and reducing depressiveness, anxiety, and psychological distress. Efficacy on other outcomemeasures ( e.g., hope, fear of progression) and biological parameters is not yet well established. Moderator analyses show larger effects for younger patients, people from Eastern countries (Iran, China versus USA), and after longer ACT interventions. Conclusions: Recent meta-analyses and reviews indicate that ACT interventions are an effective and evidence-based treatment to increase QoL and reduce psychological distress in cancer patients. Further high- quality randomized-controlled trials are needed to fill remaining research gaps ( e.g., long-term effects).