Logo: to the web site of Uppsala University

Background. The prevalence of psychological problems among mental health practitioners (MHPs) is high. Practitioners carry high cognitive and emotional demands due to the complex nature of the work, which involves dealing with human suffering while also looking after one’s own mental difficulties. Studies suggest that increasing MHPs’ psychological flexibility (PF) could help reduce some of these negative effects, as well as improve MHPs’ work performance. Therefore, we set out to synthesise the existing literature on psychological flexibility in MHPs. Method. A scoping review was conducted in four databases (PsycINFO, CINAHL, PubMed, and Scopus), and included peer-reviewed articles published in the English language between the years 1990 and 2024. Results. Twenty-three studies, published between 2004 and 2024, were included in the sample. Most studies originated from Western countries, included participants from a single profession, and focused on the relationship between PF and well-being related factors. Considerable inconsistencies were found between studies in the instrument used and the constructs they were said to measure. ACT was the most common intervention to enhance PF, and discrepancies between intervention components and duration also emerged. Conclusion. Enhancing PF in MHPs holds great promise for practitioners’ well-being and work-related outcomes. Still, more RCTs are needed, and the lack of consistency and coherence demonstrates the need for more general guidelines to be developed.