Psychological flexibility: examining its components and their relation to functioning in chronic pain

Abstract

Psychological inflexibility (including avoidance of thoughts and sensations concomitant with pain) has been recognized as a major contributing component to suffering associated with chronic pain conditions. It is no surprise that treatments specifically aiming to increase psychological flexibility (e.g. ACT) have shown effectiveness for a variety of chronic pain conditions. The present symposium will present new research evidence attempting to further examine components of the psychological flexibility model and their relation to functioning. In this regard, the first paper will present the relationship between illness representations of control and quality of life and whether they are conditional upon psychological flexibility. The second study compares chronic pain patients with individuals who suffer from a chronic illness that does not involve pain, in respect of the effects of acceptance as a mediator of quality of life, illness perception and coping. The third study examined gender differences on pain acceptance and their relevance for pain rehabilitation. The final study, examines whether psychological inflexibility can predict observations of pain signs in patients with chronic pain.