Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Helpful for Chronic Pain

Yu et al recently published the results their study on the effects of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) in people with chronic pain. The article appeared in last month’s issue of Journal of Pain. ACT “is an empirically-based psychological intervention that uses acceptance and mindfulness strategies mixed in different ways with commitment and behavior-change strategies, to increase psychological flexibility. The objective of ACT is not elimination of difficult feelings; rather, it is to be present with what life brings us and to “move toward valued behavior”. Acceptance and commitment therapy invites people to open up to unpleasant feelings, and learn not to overreact to them, and not avoiding situations where they are invoked” (Wikipedia).

The study involved over 400 hundred adults referred to a pain management clinic. Treatment significantly improved pain acceptance, pain-related interference, work and social adjustment and depression. This was true immediately post-treatment as well as at a 9-month follow-up. ACT also changed something known as “self-as-context” (SAC). SAC can be described as “the you that is always there observing and experiencing and yet distinct from one’s thoughts, feelings, sensations, and memories” (Wikipedia). Of note was the fact that positive changes in “self-as-context” were associated with positive changes in outcomes.

It’s really interesting how acceptance and commitment therapy has incorporated Buddhist principles and techniques such as mindfulness, acceptance and the self. In fact, it seems that the use of Buddhist philosophy and principles are becoming more common within therapy nowadays.