A reflection on the value of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for promoting good mental health in the workplace: a service user perspective

Many people with mental health issues are workless; despite this, good quality work is often promoted as beneficial for wellbeing. In this article, I explore my personal reflections about managing my experiences of mental distress in the workplace, whilst working as a senior lecturer in social work in the UK. The potential of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to support the improvement of my mental wellbeing in the workplace is discussed alongside the central role of the therapist in delivering this intervention. The opportunities ACT offers to support a person with mental health issues to manage the impact of mental health symptoms in the workplace are highlighted, and its potential for wider implementation across mental health services is considered.