Table 2

An overview of the ACT modules

Title and description ACT strategies
Module 1: IntroductionA brief introduction to ACT
Module 2: Identifying how informal caregivers currently deal with unpleasant thoughts and feelingsIntroduction: Creative hopelessness
Stop fighting unpleasant thoughts and feelings
Module 3: Acknowledging the potential struggles of caregivers with their negative emotionsCore 1: Acceptance
Making room for accepting unpleasant feelings
Module 4: Individuals might tend to take their thoughts seriously and fused with them, as if their thoughts are truthsCore 2: Diffusion
Distance yourself from difficult thoughts
Module 5: Individuals might have a tendency to define their self-image based on who they are but also who they should or would like to be and this attitude might be stressfulCore 3: Self as context
Creating room for individuals to be themselves and be flexible with their self-image
Module 6: Focusing too much on the past (‘if only I had…’) or the future (‘what if…’) might not always be helpfulCore 4: Here and now
Paying sufficient attention to the present moment which is the only moment when we can actually live, act and experience
Module 7: Acknowledging things that really matter in one’s own lifeCore 5: Values
Actively asking/practicing whether values are sufficiently present in individuals’ life
Module 8: Defining concrete and feasible actions towards values facilitates individuals to live a more meaningful lifeCore 6: Committed action
Actively investing in values and translating them into value-based actions
Module 9: Resilience allows you to deal with your problems in a more flexible way and to fill your life in a way that is valuable to youConclusion: Psychological flexibility practising six core skills together to gain psychological flexibility and personal resilience
  • ACT, acceptance and commitment therapy.