The Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on Pain Coping Strategies and Pain Self-efficacy in Chronic Neuropathic PainPatients

Neuropathic diseases are neurodegenerative conditions and a wide and difficult group of peripheral nerve diseases in humans. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy on pain coping strategies and pain self- efficacy in chronic neuropathic pain patients

This study was a semi-experimental study with a control group and included pre-test, post-test and follow-up. The statistical population, included all chronic neuropathic pain patients referring to Rohani Hospital and personal office of our neurologist in Babol City in 2022. 30 patients were selected by using purposive sampling method and randomly divided into two experimental (15 persons) and control (15 persons) groups. Both groups filled out the pain coping strategies and pain self- efficacy questionnaire  in the pre-test stage. Acceptance and commitment therapy was performed for the experimental group for 8 sessions (one 120 minute session/week), while control group did not receive any treatment. After completion of the treatment period for both groups, post-test and 2 months after the post-test, follow-up test were performed. Using SPSS-18 software, data were analyzed by repeated measures analysis of variance.

The results showed that in the post-test there was a significant difference between the two experimental and control groups in the scores of pain coping strategies subscales in diverting attention, reinterpretation of pain, catastrophizing, ignoring pain, prayer-hope, self-statement, increased pain behaviour and pain self-efficacy (P<0.01). The treatment results were maintained in the follow-up stage. 

The results of the present study indicated that acceptance and commitment therapy can be effective in improving pain coping strategies and increasing pain self- efficacy in the patients with chronic neuropathic pain.