ACT in the Workplace – Research References

The following is (what we hope to be) a comprehensive list of research articles showing the effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Training in the workplace.

• Atkins, P. W. B. (2008). Leadership as response not reaction: Wisdom and mindfulness in public sector leadership. In P. t Hart & J. Uhr (Eds.), Public Leadership: Perspectives and Practices (pp. 73-82). Canberra: ANU E-Press
• Atkins, P. W. B. (2011). Building Trust at the Beginning of a New Leadership Role: The role of learning and collaboration. In P. t Hart & J. Uhr (Eds.), How Power Changes Hands: Transition and Succession in Government (pp. 191-207). Sydney: Palgrave Macmillan [This is not so much ACT as dialogue training]
• Atkins, P. W. B. (2012). Elemental realism and pragmatism in psychology: Making our assumptions clear. Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice 7(1), 101-105.
• Atkins, P. W. B. (2013). Empathy, self-other differentiation and mindfulness. In K. Pavlovich & K. Krahnke (Eds.), Organizing Through Empathy (pp. 49-70). New York: Routledge
• Atkins, P. W. B., & Parker, S. K. (2012). Understanding individual compassion in organizations: the role of appraisals and psychological flexibility. Academy of Management Review, 37(4), 524-546.
• Atkins, P. W. B., & Styles, R. (2012). A Behavioral Measure Of The Construction Of Self As Story, Process And Perspective. Paper presented at the Academy of Management, Boston, MA.
• Atkins, P. W. B., & Styles, R. (2012). Changes in self-construal as a result of a MBSR course: Application of a new behavioral measure. Paper presented at the Academy of Management, Boston, MA.
• Atkins, P.W.B., & Styles, R. (2015). Mindfulness, identity, and work: Mindfulness training creates a more flexible sense of self. In P.W.B. Atkins & J. Reb (Eds.). Mindfulness in organizations: Foundations, research, and applications. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
• Atkins, P.W.B., & Reb, J. (Eds.). (2015). Mindfulness in organizations: Foundations, research, and applications. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
• Baer, R. A. (2003). Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10, 125-143.
• Barkham, M., & Shapiro, D.A. (1990). Brief psychotherapeutic interventions for job-related distress: A pilot study of prescriptive and exploratory therapy. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 3, 133-147.
• Bellini, D, Presti, G, Ramaci, T & Santisi, G. (2019). Psychological Flexibility and Mindfulness as Predictors of Individual Outcomes in Hospital Health Workers. Frontiers in Psychology
• Biglan, A., Hayes, S. C., & Pistorello, J. (2008). Acceptance and Commitment: Implications for prevention science. Prevention Science, 9, 139-152
• Biron, M.m & van Veldhoven, M. J. P. M. (2012). Emotional labor in service work: Psychological flexibility and emotion regulation. Human Relations. doi: 10.1177/0018726712447832.
• Bond & Bunce (2003). The role of acceptance and job control in mental health, job satisfaction and work performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88, 1057-1067.
• Bond, F., & Bunce, D. (2000). Mediators of Change in emotion-focused and problem focused worksite stress management interventions. Journal Of Occupational Health Psychology, 5, 156-63.
• Bond, F., (2004). ACT for stress. In Hayes & Strohsahl (Eds). A Practical Guide to ACT. Springer.
• Bond, F. W. (2012). Enhancing the effectiveness of transformational leadership with acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). Manuscript in preparation.
• Bond, F. W., & Bunce, D. (2003). The role of acceptance and job control in mental health, job satisfaction, and work performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88, 1057-1067.

• Bond, F. W., Flaxman, P. E., & Lloyd, J. (2016). Mindfulness and meditation in the workplace: An acceptance and commitment therapy approach. The Psychology of Meditation: Research and Practice., (February), 241–258.
• Bond, F. W., Hayes, S. C., & Barnes-Holmes, D. (2006). Psychological flexibility, ACT, and organizational behavior. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 26, 25-54.
• Bond, Flaxman, van Veldhoven & Biron (2010). The impact of psychological flexibility and ACT on health and productivity at work. In Houdmon & Leka (Eds). Contemporary occupational health psychology: Global perspectives on research, education and practice. Wiley-Blackwell.
• Bond & Flaxman (2006). The ability of psychological flexibility and job control to predict learning, job performance and mental health. Journal of Organisaitonal Behaviour management, 26, 113-30.
• Bond, Flaxman & Bunce (2008). The influence of psychological flexibility on work redesign: Mediated moderation of a work reorganisation intervention. Journal of Applied Psychology, 93, 645-54
• Bond, F.W., Lloyd, J. & Guenole, N. (2013). The work-related acceptance and action questionnaire (WAAQ): Initial psychometric findings and their implications for measuring psychological flexibility in specific contexts. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 86(3), pp. 331-347.
• Bond & Hayes (2002). ACT at work. In Bond & Dryden (Eds). Handbook of brief cognitive behavioural therapy. John Wiley.
• Brinkborg, H., Michanek, J., Hesser, J. & Berguland, G. (2011). Acceptance and commitment therapy for the treatment of stress among social workers: A randomized controlled trial. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 49, 389-398.
• Bunce, D. (1997). What factors are associated with the outcome of individual-focused worksite stress management interventions? Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 70, 1-17.
• Ciarrochi, J. & Blackledge, J. (2006). Emotional intelligence and interpersonal behavior: A theory and review of the literature. In Forgas, J.P. (Ed.). Affect in social thinking and behavior. New York: Psychology Press.
• Dahl, Wilson & Nilsson, (2004). ACT and the treatment of persons at risk for long-term disability resulting from stress and pain symptoms: a preliminary randomized trial. Behaviour Therapy, 35, 785-801.
• David, S., & Congleton, C. (2013). Emotional agility. Boston: Harvard Business Review.
• Donaldson-Feilder, E., & Bond, F. W. (2004). Psychological acceptance and emotional intelligence in relation to workplace well-being. British Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 34, 187-203.
• Flaxman & Bond (2010). A randomised worksite comparison of ACT and stress inoculation training. Behaviour Research & Therapy, 48, 816-820.
• Flaxman, P. E., & Bond, F. W. (2010). Worksite stress management training: Moderated effects and clinical significance. Journal of Occupational Healthy Psychology, 15, 347-358.
• Flaxman & Bond (2010). Acceptance and Commitment Training: Promoting Psychological Flexibility Training in the workplace. Baer (ed). Assessing mindfulness and acceptance processes in clients: Illuminating the theory and practice of change. New Harbinger.
• Flaxman & Bond (2006). ACT in the Workplace. In Baer (Ed) Mindfulness-based treatment approaches. Elsevier.
• Flaxman, P. E., Bond, F. W., & Livheim, F. (2013). The Mindful and Effective Employee: An Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Training Manual for Improving Well-Being and Performance. New Harbinger Publications.
• Fledderus, M., Bohlmeijer, E. T., Smit, F., & Westerhof, G. J. (2010). Mental health promotion as a new goal in public mental health care: A randomized controlled trial of an intervention enhancing psychological flexibility. American Journal of Public Health, 100(12),2372-2378.
• Fledderus, M., Bohlmeijer, E. T., Pieterse, M. E., & Schreurs, K. M. G. (2012). Acceptance and commitment therapy as guided self-help for psychological distress and positive mental health: A randomized controlled trial. Psychological Medicine, 42, 485-495.
• Hayes, Bisset, Roget, Padilla, Kohylenberg, Fisher et al (2004). The impact of Acceptance and Commitment Training and multicultural training on the stigmatising attitudes and professional burnout of substance abuse counselors. Behaviour Therapy, 35, 821-35.
• Hayes, S. C., Bond, F. W., Barnes-Holmes, D., & Austin, J. (Eds.). (2006). Acceptance and mindfulness at work: Applying acceptance and commitment therapy and relational frame theory to organisational behaviour management. New York: Haworth Press.
• Hayes, S. C., Bunting, K., Herbst, S., Bond, F.W., & Barnes-Holmes, D. (2006). Expanding the scope of organizational behavior management. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 26, 1-23.
• Herbst, S. A., & Houmanfar, R. (2009). Psychological approaches to values in organizations and Organizational Behavior Management. Jourbal of ORganizational Behavior Management, 29(1), 47-68.
• Hulbert-Williams, L., Hochard, K., Hulbert-Williams, N., Archer, R., Nicholls, W., & Wilson, K. (2016). Contextual behavioural coaching: An evidence-based model for supporting behaviour change. International Coaching Psychology Review, 11(2), 142–154.
• Gardner & Moore (2007). The Psychology of Enhancing Human performance. Springer.
• Kashdan, T. B., Barrios, V., Forsyth, J.P., & Steger, M. F. (2006). Experiential avoidance as a generalized psychological vulnerability: Comparisons with coping and emotion regulation strategies. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 44, 1301-1320.
• Kashdan, T., & Rottenberg, J. (2010). Psychological flexibility as a fundamental aspect of health. Clinical Psychology Review, 30 (7), 865-878. Link
• Lamb, Danielle & Cogan, Nicola. (2015). Coping with work-related stressors and building resilience in mental health workers: A comparative focus group study using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology
• Longmore, R. J., & Worrell, M. (2007). Do we need to challenge thoughts in cognitive behavior therapy? Clinical Psychology Review, 27, 173-187.
• Lloyd, J., Bond, F.W., & Flaxman, P.E. (2013). Identifying the psychological mechanisms underpinning a cognitive behavioural intervention for emotional burnout. Work & Stress, 27, 181-199.
• Lloyd, J., Bond, F. W. & Flaxman, P. (2017). Work-Related Self-Efficacy as a Moderator of the Impact of a Worksite Stress Management Training Intervention: Intrinsic Work Motivation as a Higher Order Condition of Effect. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 22(1), pp. 115-127. doi: 10.1037/ocp0000026
• Ly, K. H., Asplund, K., & Andersson, G. (2014). Stress management for middle managers via an acceptance and commitment-based smartphone application: A randomized controlled trial. Internet Interventions, 1, 95–101. doi: DOI: 10.1016/j.invent.2014.06.003
• McCracken, L. M., & Yang, S-Y. (2008). A contextual cognitive-behavioral analysis of rehabilitation workers’ health and well-being: Influences of acceptance, mindfulness, and values-based action. Rehabilitation Psychology, 53, 479-485.
• McConachie, D. A. J., McKenzie, K., Morris, P. G., & Walley, R. M. (2014). Acceptance and mindfulness-based stress management for support staff caring for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 35, 1216-1227. doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2014.03.005
• Mitmansgruber, H., Bekcer, T. N., & Schüssler, G. (2008). “Mindful helpers”: Experiential avoidance, meta-emotions, and emotion regulation in paramedics. Journal of Research in Personality, 42, 1358-1363.
• Moran, D. J. (2011). ACT for Leadership: Using acceptance and commitment training to develop crisis-resilient change managers. International Journal of Behavioral Consultation and Therapy, 7, 68-77.
• Moran, D. J. (2015). Acceptance and Commitment Training in the Workplace. Current Opinion in Psychology, 2, 26-31.
• Noone S.J.. (2015). Promoting resilience in Carers: Using acceptance and mindfulness based interventions to support direct care staff.  Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 59, 17. doi:10.1111/jir.12214
• O’Hora, D., & Maglieri, K. A. (2006). Goal statements and goal-directed behavior: A relational frame account of goal setting in organizations. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 26(1/2), 131-170.
• Stewart, I., Barnes-Holmes, D., Barnes-Holmes, Y., Bond, F., & Hayes, S. C. (2006). Relational frame theory and industrial/organizational psychology. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 26, 55-90.
• Van der Klink, J. J. L., Blonk, R. W. B., Schene, A. H., & van Dijk, F. J. H. (2001). The benefits of interventions for work-related stress. American Journal of Public Health, 91, 270-276.
• Varra, Hayes, Roget & Fisher (2008). A randomized control trial examining the effect of ACT on clinician willingness to use evidence-based psychopharmacology. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 76, 449-458.
• Vilardaga, R., Luoma, J. B., Hayes, S. C., Pistorello, J., Levin, M. E., Hildebrandt, M. J., et al. (2011). Burnout among the addiction counseling workforce: The differential roles of mindfulness and values-based processes and work-site factors. Jourbal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 40, 323-3345.
• Wardley, M. N. J., Flaxman, P. E., & Gillanders, D. (2015). “ Feel the Feeling ”: Psychological practitioners ’ experience of acceptance and commitment therapy well-being training in the workplace. Journal of Health Psychology. doi:10.1177/1359105314557977
• Williams, K. A., Kolar, M. M., Reger, B. E., & Pearson J. C. (2001). Evaluation of wellness-based mindfulness stress reduction intervention: A controlled trial. American Journal of Healthy Promotion, 15, 422-432.
• Williams, Virginia , Ciarrochi, Joseph and Patrick Deane, Frank(2010) ‘On being mindful, emotionally aware, and more resilient: Longitudinal pilot study of police recruits’. Australian Psychologist, 45: 4, 274 — 282. Link

If I’ve missed any off please let me know!  rob@thecareerpsychologist.com