Investigating the effects of an ACT-based mobile application on stress, anxiety, and burnout in the workplace

Abstract

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a third-generation therapy that teaches individuals to accept their internal thoughts and feelings instead of modifying or challenging them. The main aim of ACT is to encourage individuals to develop cognitive flexibility when faced with challenging situations. ACTcompanion® application is based on the principles of ACT. The app has a number of exercises to help develop skills that would benefit the user in effective coping during stressful times. I used a single subject A-B-A design with 10 participants to examine the effectiveness of the ACTcompanion® app in reducing stress, anxiety, and burnout at workplaces. Most participants showed a noticeable decrease in their daily anxiety levels. Participants also showed improvements in their level of stress, mindfulness, exhaustion, affect, and depression. Overall, the results of the current study support the ACTcompanion® app as a good option for reducing anxiety and improving wellbeing in the workplace.