Fear-Avoidance, Pain Acceptance and Adjustment to Chronic Pain: A Cross-Sectional Study on a Sample of 686 Patients with Chronic Spinal Pain. Issue 3 (11th April 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ramírez-Maestre, Carmen; Esteve, Rosa; López-Martínez, Alicia
• Is Part Of: Annals of behavioral medicine. Volume 48:Issue 3(2014)
• Page Start: 402
• Page End: 410
• Publication Date: 2014-04-11
• Subjects: Chronic pain -- Experiential avoidance -- Fear-avoidance -- Resilience -- Pain acceptance -- Disability; Medicine and psychology -- Periodicals; Sick -- Psychology -- Periodicals; Behavioral Medicine; 616.0019
• DOI: 10.1007/s12160-014-9619-6
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0883-6612

Abstract

Abstract: Background: Prior studies found a range of psychological factors related to the perception of pain, maintenance of pain and disability. Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the role of pain fear-avoidance and pain acceptance in chronic pain adjustment. The influence of two diathesis variables (resilience and experiential avoidance) was also analyzed. Methods: The sample was composed of 686 patients with chronic spinal pain. Structural equation modelling analyses were used to test the hypothetical model. Results: Experiential avoidance was associated with pain fear-avoidance, and resilience was strongly associated with pain acceptance. Pain acceptance was negatively associated with negative mood, functional impairment and pain intensity. However, pain fear-avoidance was positively and significantly associated with negative mood but had no association with pain intensity. There was a path from functional impairment to pain fear-avoidance. Conclusions: Resilience and experiential avoidance appear as variables which could explain individual differences in pain experience.