EFFECTS OF FUNCTIONAL ANALYTIC PSYCHOTHERAPY ON RESIDENTIAL PERSONNEL IN SINGAPORE

Abstract

The present study examined the effects of Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP), a ‘third wave’ behaviour therapy emphasising acceptance, self-compassion and mindfulness, on psychological risk factors and protective factors amongst residential personnel. A one-group pretest-posttest research design was used, and the sample consisted of 50 participants who were residential personnel working at a residential facility in Singapore for children removed from dysfunctional or abusive families. Data on risk and protective factors in participants was collected before and after the completion of an 8-week FAP programme. FAP alleviated risk factors by decreasing intimacy problems and significantly reducing burnout. Protective factors were reinforced, with a significant increase in trait mindfulness and significant decreases in self-blame and behavioural disengagement. There were unexpected findings of non-significant increasing trends in compassion fatigue, depersonalisation and reduced personal accomplishment, attributed to the greater awareness generated in session about existing occupational stressors. There were significant correlations between positive coping strategies and reduced levels of risk factors. Finally, after FAP, intimacy did not mediate the relationship between emotion dysregulation and compassion fatigue. This study informs future research on the promising results of administering FAP on workers in the field of human services where client-related stressors are common.