Acceptance and commitment therapy for people with rheumatic disease: existing evidence and future directions
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Despite advances in the management of rheumatic diseases, many patients experience persistent pain and fatigue. Psychological interventions are useful adjunctive treatments, but improvements tend to be small, and progress in this area is needed. The aim of this review was to evaluate the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for the treatment of chronic pain and fatigue in patients with rheumatic disease. METHODS: A systematic literature search was conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PsycINFO for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of ACT for the treatment of chronic pain and fatigue in patients with rheumatic disease. Ten RCTs that included people with rheumatic disease were identified, rated for risk of bias, and summarised in terms of effects on relevant outcomes (disability, emotional functioning, pain, and quality of life). RESULTS: Treatment with ACT was associated with improvements in physical and emotional functioning, pain, and quality of life in chronic pain patients. The favourable effects of ACT were evident when compared with those of treatment as usual or active control conditions (e.g., pain education and novel medication). There was consistent evidence to show that ACT is beneficial in improving physical and emotional functioning in patients with fibromyalgia but a lack of evidence pertaining to patients with other forms of rheumatic disease. CONCLUSION: ACT provides benefit for fibromyalgia patients. Further high-quality research is needed to develop ACT interventions for people with inflammatory rheumatic diseases and to evaluate their effectiveness for managing the pain and fatigue associated with these conditions.
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CBT/ACT has been used in treatment of fibromyalgia.
“or fibromyalgia (23).”
CBT/ACT is less commonly provided than standard CBT, but it is well-established and part of the overall umbrella of interventions based on core features of CBT, particularly in the context of specific, more complex conditions.
“This type of psycho-therapy is less commonly provided than standard CBT, but it is well-established and is part of the overall umbrella of interventions based on the core features of CBT, particularly in the context of specific, more complex conditions.”
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- Authors
- Hegarty, R. S. M., Fletcher, B. D., Conner, T. S., Stebbings, S., & Treharne, G. J.
- Affiliations
- University of Otago (NZ)
- Department of Psychology University of Otago Dunedin New Zealand
- Corresponding author
- Hegarty, Roisin S.M.
- Venue
- Musculoskeletal Care
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2020-04-15
- Volume
- 18
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 330-341
- ISSN
- 1478-2189 (ISSN-L)
- 1557-0681
- OpenAlex
- W3015580419
- Cited by
- 18
- References
- 58
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 2
- FWCI
- 0.24
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Musculoskeletal Care (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Jack Thompson Arthritis Fund (JT364)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Musculoskeletal pain and rehabilitation
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Research
- Keywords
- acceptance and commitment therapy, rheumatic diseases, chronic pain, fatigue, fibromyalgia, psychological intervention, quality of life, emotional functioning, disability, inflammatory rheumatic diseases
- MeSH terms
- Fatigue, Fibromyalgia, Humans, Quality of Life, Chronic Pain, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
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