Adaptation to chronic pain: psychological flexibility and the self-regulation mechanism

Abstract

Background. The aim of this study was to examine whether the relationship between the illness representations of control of patients suffering from chronic pain and their quality of life is conditional on psychological flexibility (PF). PF is defined as the ability to change or persist in behavior which serves valued ends, while not permitting painful experiences interfere with values. Methods. 52 patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis and 79 from musculoskeletal pain participated in this cross-sectional study. Physical symptoms, emotional well-being and pain were used as quality of life indicators. Results. After controlling for patient and illness-related variables, PF moderated the effects of representations of control on physical symptoms and pain. The positive relations of the representations of control to these indicators of quality of life were statistically significant only at the medium and/or higher PF levels. Flexibility did not impact the relation of representations of control to emotional well-being. Discussion. Psychological flexibility seems to affect the close association between illness representations and health outcomes. Thus, it impacts adaptation to chronic pain as a significant part of the patients’ self-regulation mechanism.