Representations of Chronic Illness in Patients and Their Partners.

Background: Representations of chronic illness have a strong influence on quality of life and coping. Illness-related believes and attitudes depend on the medical condition itself (including illness type and duration), as well as individual and relational variables. Couples affected by chronic illness develop shared illness representations, which support the patients' adaptation process.

[Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: Theoretical background and practice].

The Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is one of the modern, so-called third-wave behavioural therapies. Among them the most successful is ACT, both in the number of therapists and respective scientific research. ACT's theoretical and philosophical background is described explicitly and its therapeutic interventions were developed according to this philosophy.