Aims: This study tested psychological flexibility (thereinafter flexibility) in cancer patients with chronic pain. Our hypothesis is that greater flexibility correlates with less attentional focus on pain, less use of medications, less depression or anxiety symptoms, less distress and less pain interference on the quality of life. Methods: Thirty three consecutive patients (mean age = 64.7; sd=11.8) with pain and cancer diagnosis of different etiologies were recruited in the Oncology department of Sacro Cuore-Don Calabria Hospital in Verona, Italy. All patients presented chronic pain during hospitalization. A total of 78.8% was married, 42.4 % retired, 90.9 % had children and the mean years of education were 9.8. A proportion of 48.5% of patients was in active treatment, 39.4% in diagnostic phase and 12.1% in palliative care. Patients were assessed at preintervention with the following standardized self-report measures: Vital statistics form, Pain statistics form, Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) for pain, Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), Acceptance and Action Questionnaire II (AAQ-II), Hospital Anxiety Depression Index (HADS), Distress Thermometer (DT). Results: NRS and BPI showed these average scores: pain during hospitalization (M=2.69; sd=1.39), average pain during 24h measured by nurse (M=1.86; sd=1.88), average pain during 24h measured by BPI (M=3.09; sd=2.19) and number of days with pain during hospitalization (M=8.03; sd=7.66). Data showed a significant correlation between flexibility and distress (=-0.45; pb0.01), anxiety (=-0.73, pb0.001), depression (=-0.59, pb0.001) and HADS total score (=- 0.73; pb0.01). Results show lower correlation levels (pb0.05) for interference of pain on emotions (=- 0.36) and schooling age (=0.42). Conclusion: This study showed that higher levels of flexibility correlated with more advanced schooling age, less distress, less anxiety, less depression and less interference of pain on emotions. Conversely, age, medications, average pain and pain durability were not significant. Psychological flexibility can be a new construct to explain adaptation to pain and cancer. However, these are preliminary data and further studies are required to better understand the role of flexibility in cancer patients

The role of psychological flexibility in cancer pain

Deledda, G.
;
Fantoni, G.;Scandola, M.;
2018-01-01

Abstract

Aims: This study tested psychological flexibility (thereinafter flexibility) in cancer patients with chronic pain. Our hypothesis is that greater flexibility correlates with less attentional focus on pain, less use of medications, less depression or anxiety symptoms, less distress and less pain interference on the quality of life. Methods: Thirty three consecutive patients (mean age = 64.7; sd=11.8) with pain and cancer diagnosis of different etiologies were recruited in the Oncology department of Sacro Cuore-Don Calabria Hospital in Verona, Italy. All patients presented chronic pain during hospitalization. A total of 78.8% was married, 42.4 % retired, 90.9 % had children and the mean years of education were 9.8. A proportion of 48.5% of patients was in active treatment, 39.4% in diagnostic phase and 12.1% in palliative care. Patients were assessed at preintervention with the following standardized self-report measures: Vital statistics form, Pain statistics form, Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) for pain, Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), Acceptance and Action Questionnaire II (AAQ-II), Hospital Anxiety Depression Index (HADS), Distress Thermometer (DT). Results: NRS and BPI showed these average scores: pain during hospitalization (M=2.69; sd=1.39), average pain during 24h measured by nurse (M=1.86; sd=1.88), average pain during 24h measured by BPI (M=3.09; sd=2.19) and number of days with pain during hospitalization (M=8.03; sd=7.66). Data showed a significant correlation between flexibility and distress (=-0.45; pb0.01), anxiety (=-0.73, pb0.001), depression (=-0.59, pb0.001) and HADS total score (=- 0.73; pb0.01). Results show lower correlation levels (pb0.05) for interference of pain on emotions (=- 0.36) and schooling age (=0.42). Conclusion: This study showed that higher levels of flexibility correlated with more advanced schooling age, less distress, less anxiety, less depression and less interference of pain on emotions. Conversely, age, medications, average pain and pain durability were not significant. Psychological flexibility can be a new construct to explain adaptation to pain and cancer. However, these are preliminary data and further studies are required to better understand the role of flexibility in cancer patients
2018
cancer, act, acceptance and commitment therapy
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11562/996754
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