Experiential avoidance and psychological acceptance processes in the psychological recovery from enduring mental illness

Abstract

Objective: The concept of recovery has been generating significant interest in mental health contexts, as has the behavioral change approach of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) within clinical psychotherapy contexts. This exploratory study sought to examine whether a person in psychological recovery from mental illness would describe the use of psychological acceptance and experiential avoidance, two core concepts of ACT. Methods: Forty-five published narratives of people in recovery were content analyzed seeking to investigate the role and frequency of experiential avoidance and psychological acceptance given by those narrating their recovery journey. Results: There was a presence of..