Psychological Flexibility in Chronic Pain Populations; an Observation- and Validation Study

NCT ID: NCT05050565

Last Updated: 2022-01-11

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Total Enrollment: 404 participants
• Study Classification: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2021-10-08
• Study Completion Date: 2022-01-04

Brief Summary

Chronic pain in general is a substantial problem and is a source of a great deal of disability and suffering. It is known that processes like stigma and psychological flexibility (PF) play a significant role in these outcomes. At the same time, there are many specific chronic pain disorders and there is less knowledge about similarities and differences between these specific conditions, whether the role of processes like these vary between conditions or not. For studies that can address this to be done in Sweden, there will need to be adequately translated and validated measures of the key processes identified.

The main aim of the current study is to look at whether the role of PF and stigma in pain-related outcomes differ across pain conditions. In support of that, a secondary aim is to first validate measures of stigma and PF in chronic pain populations. For this secondary aim, the current study seeks to investigate the factor structure, construct - and criterion validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability of a Swedish version of the Multidimensional Psychological Flexibility Inventory (MPFI) as well as of a Swedish version of the Stigma Scale for Chronic Illnesses (SSCI-8).

Detailed Description

Chronic pain is related to impaired everyday functioning and social adjustment, such as working ability or engaging in recreational activities, and to emotional suffering, such as depression. Sexual functioning and satisfaction may be impaired for patients with vulvodynia and in some cases for patients with endometriosis. Pain seems to interfere with sexual functioning even for people with low back pain and fibromyalgia. Chronic pain is also related to anxiety, and the chronic pain literature often highlights the role of catastrophizing thoughts in exacerbating the experience of pain. Stigma and psychological flexibility (PF) appear to play a role in the suffering endured by people with chronic pain, but it is less clear how these processes differ, or not, between specific pain conditions such as, but not limited to, fibromyalgia, chronic low back pain, endometriosis and vulvodynia. Thus, the main aim of the current study is to investigate this by having participants with various chronic pain conditions fill out measures on stigma and psychological flexibility, and to see how these processes differ across conditions.

However, there is currently a lack of measures in Swedish to adequately capture stigma and psychological flexibility satisfactory. A secondary aim is thus to validate a Swedish version of the Multidimensional Psychological Flexibility Inventory (MPFI) and the Stigma Scale for Chronic Illnesses (SSCI-8).

In order to establish construct- and criterion validity, scores on these measures will be compared to that of related outcomes such as specific facets of psychological flexibility, pain interference, depression, social adjustment, and catastrophizing. In addition, test-retest reliability, internal consistency and factor structures for each measure, the SSCI-8 and the MPFI will be examined.

If eligible, participants will be directed to answer questionnaires via RedCap, a GDPR-compliant mobile application. After finishing the questionnaires, the participants will be reminded after two weeks in order to fill out the same questionnaires once more. At this second time point, questions regarding participant characteristics such as demography and pain background will be excluded.

Conditions

Chronic Pain

Study Design

• Observational Model Type: COHORT
• Study Time Perspective: OTHER

Interventions

Experiences of stigma and psychological flexibility in chronic pain participants

Chronic pain participants will answer questionnaires at two points in time, two weeks apart. These questionnaires ask about stigma and psychological flexibility, as well as depression, catastrophizing, pain interference, and social adjustment. The data collected is only observational and does not include any intervention.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Aged 18 or over
• Suffering from chronic or recurrent pain for ≥ 3 months
• Access to an internet enabled phone/computer/tablet
• Fluent in written Swedish
• Willing to be contacted during the study

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Uppsala University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Monica Buhrman, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Uppsala University

Locations

Department of Psychology, Uppsala University

Uppsala, Uppland, Sweden

Countries

Sweden

References

Sundstrom FT, Lavefjord A, Buhrman M, McCracken LM. Assessing Psychological Flexibility and Inflexibility in Chronic Pain Using the Multidimensional Psychological Flexibility Inventory (MPFI). J Pain. 2023 May;24(5):770-781. doi: 10.1016/j.jpain.2022.11.010. Epub 2022 Nov 25.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 36442815 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

20210629

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id