This study aims to develop the mindfulness-acceptance improvement program for chronic pain patients ("the MAIP"), verify its effects, and examine the treatment variables for such effects of the program.
Study 1 developed the MAIP. The program adop...
This study aims to develop the mindfulness-acceptance improvement program for chronic pain patients ("the MAIP"), verify its effects, and examine the treatment variables for such effects of the program.
Study 1 developed the MAIP. The program adopted the treatment factors for chronic pain based on MBT (Mindfulness-Based Therapy) and ACT (Acceptance & Commitment Therapy). Such treatment factors consist of mindfulness, acceptance and value which were found to be effective for the treatment of chronic pain. The purpose of the program is to improve chronic pain patients' mindfulness, their pain acceptance, and their life value level, so as to control their pain-related dysfunctional thinking or negative emotions and to boost their adaptational function in their life. The program organized goals by session, contents and methods to use such techniques as psychological education about the concept of chronic pain, mindfulness training, and ACT metaphor practice and experiments. The program development process involved conducting preliminary research, evaluating the results, revising and improving the program, and establishing the final program.
Study 2 verified the effects of the MAIP which was developed based on mindfulness and ACT. To verify the effects of the program, 50 outpatients from K University Hospital in Seoul were selected to randomly allocate 25 to the experimental group and another 25 to the comparative group. The program thus was implemented in a total of 20 hours for eight weeks with one weekly session lasting 2 hours and 30 minutes. The experimental group received medication and physical therapy among other ordinary therapies as they participated in the MAIP, while the comparative group received only ordinary therapy.
To analyze the effects of the program, the two groups received preliminary/post/follow-up testing. They received pre-testing before the program, and post-testing at the closing of the program. They were given follow-up testing 3 months after the program ended. Research tools used included mindfulness scale, pain acceptance questionnaire, life-value scale, pain catastrophizing scale, pain anxiety scale, life-purpose scale, pain-degree questionnaire, and number of treatment questionnaire. The data was analyzed using MANCOVA (Multi-variate Analysis of Covariance).
As a result of study 2, the experimental group, compared to the comparative group, improved their pain acceptance, mindfulness, and life purpose, while reducing their pain catastrophizing accidents and pain anxiety. These results were also significantly maintained in the 3-month-later follow-up testing. No difference between the groups was found in life purpose, degree of pain, and number of treatment. Also, pain acceptance, mindfulness, and life value, which were assumed as process variables of the program had significant effects on a change to effect variables such as pain catastrophizing, pain anxiety, life-purpose, pain degree, and number of treatment. In particular, mindfulness had the largest positive effect on life-purpose, pain degree, and number of treatment. Pain acceptance had the greatest effect on the reduction of pain catastrophizing and pain anxiety, and life value had the greatest effect on life purpose. In conclusion, the effects of the program which was developed based on MBT and ACT were ascertained, and the relative effects of process variables on effect variables were proved.
This study verified that mindfulness, acceptance and value training could be of useful help in resolving chronic-pain patients' psychological problems, and found that respective treatment factors differentially act on psychological problems of chronic-pain patients.