Evaluating an ACT-Based Brief Intervention for Educators Treatment Package on Reported Well-Being and ACT-Consistent Language in the Classroom

Educators continue to experience stress and burnout, both of which have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and there continues to be a need to develop interventions that support not only educators' well-being, but a climate within school buildings that fosters psychological well-being for students and school staff alike. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is one promising approach to interventions for both educator and student psychological well-being. The present study sought to evaluate the effect of a low-dosage, online, and remotely delivered ACT intervention for educators on self-reported burnout, psychological flexibility, ACT knowledge, and frequency of use of ACT-consistent language while teaching in an alternative educational setting. The ACT-based intervention targeted the development of educator psychological flexibility, but the analysis provided an evaluation of non-targeted participants' use of ACT-consistent language in the classroom, as well. Results suggest an overall improvement in participants' self-reported burnout and psychological flexibility, an increase in participants' ACT knowledge following each phase of the study, and an increase in the frequency of ACT-consistent language for all participants following the onset of a feedback component. We discuss potential implications of practical ACT-based interventions for educators in an applied setting and related increases in ACT-consistent verbal stimuli within the classroom setting.