Providing accessible psychological support to people with Parkinson’s • City, University of London

New PACT app developed in partnership with those with Parkinson’s offers convenient, personalised psychological support to those affected by symptoms

By Mr George Wigmore (Senior Communications Officer), Published Wednesday, 17^th April 2024

Researchers from the School of Health & Psychological Sciences at City, University of London have produced an app that provides accessible, personalised psychological support to people affected by Parkinson’s symptoms.

The project and associated app, which is called PACT (Personalised Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Parkinson’s disease), have been developed together with a group of people who have Parkinson’s disease and their family members or carers so that it is easy to use with different Parkinson’s symptoms. Funded by Parkinson’s UK, the project also involves collaborators from the University of Glasgow, King’s College London, Uppsala University, and the Office of Health Economics.

Living with Parkinson’s disease can present daily challenges, which can significantly affect a person’s wellbeing. While traditional face-to-face therapies offer improvement, their accessibility is hampered by time constraints, lengthy waits, and physical limitations due to Parkinson’s symptoms.

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The researchers aim to overcome these challenges with the PACT app, which provides accessible, personalised psychological support at users’ fingertips. Developed with insights from those living with Parkinson’s, PACT harnesses the proven strategies of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), an evidence-based approach emphasising psychological flexibility. This method combines acceptance, mindfulness, and behaviour change, all tailored within the app to address the unique needs of the Parkinson’s community.

PACT offers manageable 5 to 10 minute 'bite-sized’ sessions filled with interactive content, including video and audio for developing new skills, and offers a space to reflect on progress and wellbeing. Enhanced with AI-driven personalisation, the app is designed to cater to individual preferences and challenges, equipping users with resilience and adaptability skills tailored specifically to their Parkinson’s journey.

Dr Angeliki Bogosian, Head of Health Services and Research Management at City and lead for the project, said:

The PACT app provides a daily five-minute dose of ACT for individuals with Parkinson's, teaching psychological skills that can help with various current and future psychological challenges. By offering accessible, personalised support, we hope to empower people to enhance their psychological well-being.

If you are interested in the PACT app, please visit the website for more information.

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