Effects of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Postoperative Patients with Colorectal Cancer: A randomized controlled trial

Objective This study evaluated a four-session acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) intervention targeting the effects on health outcomes of postoperative patients with colorectal cancer. Method Participants were 100 adults (56% male; M = 59.3 years, SD = 8.7) with colorectal cancer who were randomized to the ACT intervention group or the usual care group. Psychological flexibility, stigma, disease acceptance, intestinal function, and quality of life were assessed at baseline and at 3 months and 6 months after the intervention. Results Of the 100 participants who started the intervention, 95% completed it and reported high satisfaction. Participants were randomized to four weekly sessions of acceptance and commitment therapy or routine nursing mode. Lost to follow-up cases were performed using a propensity score matching analysis. There was no significant difference at baseline between the intervention and control groups in terms of general information and various test indicators. Compared with the control group, the ACT group had a significant effect on psychological flexibility, stigma, disease acceptability, intestinal function, and quality of life. Conclusions ACT can improve the psychological flexibility and disease acceptance of postoperative patients with colorectal cancer, reduce stigma levels, improve intestinal function and quality of life.