Preliminary investigation of the associations between psychological flexibility, symptoms and daily functioning in people with chronic abdominal pain

Abstract

Objective: Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), based in the psychological flexibility model, may benefit people with chronic abdominal pain. The current study preliminarily investigates associations between psychological flexibility processes and daily general, social and emotional functioning in chronic abdominal pain. Methods: An online survey comprising measures of psychological flexibility processes and daily functioning was distributed through social media. Subjects: In total, 89 participants with chronic abdominal pain were included in the analyses. Results: All investigated psychological flexibility processes significantly correlated with pain interference, work and social adjustment, and depression, in the expected directions (|r| = .35–.68). Only pain acceptance significantly correlated with gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, r = -.25. After adjusting for pain in the analyses, pain acceptance remained significantly associated with all outcomes, |β| = .28–.56, but depression. After adjusting for pain and pain acceptance, only cognitive fusion remained significantly associated with anxiety, β = -.27, and depression, β = .43. When contrasting GI-specific anxiety with psychological flexibility processes, pain acceptance was uniquely associated with pain-related interference and work and social adjustment, and cognitive fusion and committed action were uniquely associated with depression. Conclusions: Psychological flexibility processes were positively associated with daily functioning in people with chronic abdominal pain. ACT may provide benefit for these people. Further studies with experimental designs are needed to examine the utility of ACT for people with abdominal pain.