2025 Volume 37 Issue 2 Pages 131-139
This paper reviews the use of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for lifestyle support in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The key strategy of ACT is to increase patients’ valued behaviors that lead to an improved quality of life. To promote their self-care behaviors ACT cultivates “psychological flexibility (PF),” which is the ability to behave flexibly while accepting unwanted experiences. Recent studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of ACT in improving various psycho-behavioral problems in patients with diabetes. The possible PF patterns of patients and intervention directions are illustrated in the latter part of this paper. In addition, the applicability and implications of ACT, not only for patients but also for healthcare providers and support teams, are described.
