Cited by 25Mindfulness and Compassion InterventionsMusculoskeletal pain and rehabilitationPediatric Pain Management Techniques

Pain acceptance and psychological inflexibility predict pain interference outcomes for persons with chronic pain receiving pain psychology

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Karayannis, Nicholas Vasilis, Sturgeon, John A., Kemani, Mike K., Mackey, Sean C., Greco, Carol M., Wicksell, Rikard K., McCracken, Lance M.·2023·Scandinavian Journal of Pain

Abstract

Abstract Objectives Awareness (being present), acceptance, and engagement (committed action) are three dimensions of psychological flexibility. Understanding these in the context of chronic pain may identify treatment targets to help refine individual treatment. Our objective was to test the predictive capacity of three dimensions within the psychological flexibility model on the longitudinal trajectory of pain interference. Methods Patients receiving pain psychology treatment at a pain management center participated in this pragmatic clinical longitudinal study (n=86 with at least three assessments; Mean age=51 years; Gender=60 females, 26 males). Measures included the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ-SF); Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire (CPAQ-8); Psychological Inflexibility in Pain Scale (PIPS-12); and Committed Action Questionnaire (CAQ-8). The dependent variable was the Patient Reported Outcomes Information System (PROMIS) Pain Interference (PI). We used latent growth modelling to analyze scores assessed within 180 days of patient care. Results Psychological inflexibility (PIPS-12) and pain acceptance (CPAQ-8) measured at baseline predicted PI outcomes (n=86). PIPS-12 showed a direct relationship with pain interference (PI), where higher PIPS-12 scores predicted significantly higher PI mean scores on average across the study period ( ρ =0.422, r 2 =0.382) but also predicted significantly greater decreases in PI across time ( ρ =−0.489, r 2 =0.123). Higher CPAQ-8 scores predicted significantly lower PI mean scores on average across the study period ( ρ =−0.478, r 2 =0.453) but also significantly smaller decreases in PI across time ( ρ =0.495, r 2 =0.076). Awareness (FFMQ-SF) and engagement (CAQ-8) were not predictive of PI outcomes. Conclusions Patients who entered pain psychology treatment with lower pain acceptance and higher psychological inflexibility showed the largest reductions in pain interference across time. These results contribute towards a novel prognostic understanding of the predictive roles of an enhancing dimension and limiting dimension of psychological flexibility.

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  • In chronic pain, low psychological flexibility is linked to higher pain impact and an increased risk of developing emotional disorders.

    “In chronic pain, low PF was linked to higher pain impact and an increased risk of developing emotional disorders [32,33].”

    From Personality and Pain Outcomes in Rheumatic Disease: The Mediating Role of Psychological Flexibility (2024) · cites this paper as [32]

    The Results section ('The predictive capacity of the limiting dimension of psychological inflexibility'; page not provided) reports that higher psychological inflexibility predicted higher average pain interference among chronic-pain patients receiving pain psychology care. That supports the higher-pain-impact part of the claim, but the paper does not report an increased risk of developing emotional disorders; depressive symptoms were a covariate, not that outcome. (LLM, conf=0.88)

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  1. Hair J, Black WC, Babin BJ, and A?nderson RE (2010). Multivariate data analysis (7th edition). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Educational International.

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Authors
Karayannis, N. V., Sturgeon, J. A., Kemani, M. K., Mackey, S. C., Greco, C. M., Wicksell, R. K., & McCracken, L. M.
Affiliations
  • Ohio University (US)
  • University of Washington (US)
  • Karolinska University Hospital (SE)
  • Stanford Medicine (US)
  • University of Pittsburgh (US)
  • Karolinska Institutet (SE)
  • Uppsala University (SE)
Corresponding author
Karayannis, Nicholas Vasilis
Venue
Scandinavian Journal of Pain
Published
2023-02-07
Volume
23
Issue
3
Pages
464-475
ISSN
  • 1877-8860 (ISSN-L)
  • 1877-8879
OpenAlex
W4319295054
Cited by
25
References
63
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 3
FWCI
7.29
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Scandinavian Journal of Pain (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • Uppsala University Publications (Uppsala University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Funders
National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NS125004)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Musculoskeletal pain and rehabilitation
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Pediatric Pain Management Techniques
Keywords
chronic pain, pain acceptance, psychological inflexibility, psychological flexibility, pain interference, psychological factors in pain, mindfulness, committed action, awareness, treatment outcome prediction, PROMIS pain interference
MeSH terms
Adaptation, Psychological, Female, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, Chronic Pain, Pain Management, Mindfulness

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