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Measuring avoidance in medical rehabilitation
Kathleen B Kortte1, Lori Veiel1, Sonja V Batten2
1Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Objective:
To establish psychometric properties of the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (AAQ), a measure of avoidance, in medical rehabilitation populations.
Study Design:
Cross-sectional and longitudinal.
Setting:
Three acute, inpatient rehabilitation units.
Participants:
One hundred thirty-nine adults with spinal cord dysfunction, stroke, amputation, or orthopedic surgery.
Measures:
AAQ, Hope Scale, Spiritual Well-Being Scale, Positive and Negative Affect Scale, Brief Symptom Inventory, Hopkins Rehabilitation Engagement Rating Scale, Functional Independence Measure, Craig Handicap Assessment and Reporting Technique, Satisfaction with Life Scale.
Results:
The AAQ has adequate internal consistency (alpha = .70), is best understood with a two-factor solution, is positively correlated with depression (r = .36, p < .01) and negative affect (r = .41, p < .001), and is negatively correlated with hope (r = -.51, p < .001), positive affect (r = -.33, p < .001), and spiritual well-being (r = -.32, p < .001). Predictive relationships with life satisfaction (beta = -.40, p < .001) and level of handicap (beta = -.20, p < .014) were found at 3-month follow-up.
Conclusions:
Findings provide preliminary support that the AAQ is reliable and valid in medical populations and that avoidance plays an important role in rehabilitation outcomes.
