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Chronic pain acceptance and affective well-being: a coping perspective
Dirk Kranz1, Annicka Bollinger, Paul Nilges
1Department of Psychology, University of Trier, Germany. dirk.kranz@uni-trier.de
European Journal of Pain (London, England)
|April 30, 2010
Summary
Chronic pain patients
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Pain Management
- Behavioral Medicine
Background:
- Chronic pain significantly impacts patients' affective well-being.
- Understanding coping mechanisms is crucial for improving quality of life in chronic pain populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between chronic pain acceptance and affective well-being.
- To explore the roles of pain willingness, activity engagement, and accommodative flexibility in this relationship.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study involving 150 patients from a multidisciplinary pain center.
- Utilized self-report measures for pain acceptance, positive and negative affect, and accommodative flexibility.
Main Results:
- Pain willingness (attitudinal acceptance) was associated with reduced negative affect.
- Activity engagement (behavioral acceptance) was linked to increased positive affect and mediated the effect of pain willingness.
- Accommodative flexibility moderated these relationships, particularly at high pain intensity.
Conclusions:
- Affective well-being in chronic pain is strongly linked to maintaining life activities despite pain.
- An accepting attitude towards pain, encompassing both cognitive and behavioral components, is essential for patient well-being.
- Accommodative flexibility plays a key role in facilitating pain acceptance strategies.
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