Psychological flexibility in migraine: A study of pain acceptance and values-based action

• Published in: Cephalalgia 2016-04, Vol.36 (4), p.317-324
• Main Authors: Foote, Heather Wolfort, Hamer, Joshua D, Roland, Malcolm M, Landy, Stephen R, Smitherman, Todd A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adaptation, Psychological; Adult; Chronic Pain - psychology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Male; Migraine Disorders - psychology; Surveys and Questionnaires
• ISSN: 0333-1024; 1468-2982
• DOI: 10.1177/0333102415590238

Background Studies of musculoskeletal pain patients confirm that acceptance of pain and values-based action are strong predictors of pain-related disability and that interventions fostering “psychological flexibility” confer positive outcomes. However, data on these processes in migraine remain limited. This cross-sectional study examined relations between components of psychological flexibility and headache among treatment-seeking migraineurs. Methods A total of 103 adults (M age = 41.5 (11.9) years; 88.2% female) with ICHD-confirmed migraine (71.8% episodic, 28.2% chronic) across three clinics completed measures of psychological flexibility and headache-related disability. Hierarchical regressions quantified relations between acceptance/values-based action and headache variables after first controlling for pain severity and gender. Results Acceptance of pain and values-based action accounted for 10% of unique variance in headache severity (ΔR2 p = 0.006) and up to 20% in headache-related disability (ΔR2 ps = 0.02 and