Wellbeing After Stroke (WAterS): Feasibility Testing of a Co-developed Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Intervention to Support Psychological Adjustment After Stroke.
Emma Patchwood, Hannah Foote, Andy Vail and 3 others
PMID 38505946WHAT IT FOUND
Online Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for stroke survivors was feasible to deliver with high attendance and no serious adverse events.
Staff without prior ACT experience could be trained to run the groups, though the study was not designed to test if the therapy improved wellbeing.
Key findings
01The intervention was delivered online with 98% attendance and no related serious adverse events were recorded.
02Staff with no prior Acceptance and Commitment Therapy experience were successfully trained to deliver the intervention.
03The study was not powered to examine effectiveness, and outcome changes must be viewed with caution.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study was a feasibility pilot, not a randomised controlled trial, and was not powered to determine if the intervention works. The sample was small (12 intervention participants) and skewed towards white, well-educated individuals with mild-to-moderate stroke effects, limiting generalisability. Recruitment relied on self-referral via online advertisements, which may exclude those with digital poverty or more severe impairments. No control group was used, so changes in outcomes cannot be attributed to the intervention alone.
Declared interests
The work was supported by the University of Manchester and the Stroke Association. The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the small changes in mood or wellbeing scores as evidence that the therapy is effective. The study was designed only to test if the intervention could be delivered and measured, not to prove clinical benefit.