Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science (JCBS)
Volume 15, January 2020, Pages 181-188
Authors
Julia Z. Benjamin, Cynthia Harbeck-Weber, Chelsea Ale, Leslie Sim
Abstract
Parents of youth with chronic pain are at risk for depression, anxiety, and poor health-related quality of life. Research indicates Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is effective at reducing symptoms of depression and stress for parents of youth with chronic concerns such as asthma and cerebral palsy. However, it is unclear whether these interventions are effective in improving the mental health and adjustment of parents of youth with chronic pain.
Objective
The current study took place in a three-week interdisciplinary pediatric pain rehabilitation program. The primary aim of the study was to examine whether the change in parent psychological flexibility and pain catastrophizing from admission to follow-up uniquely predicted parent depressive symptoms and health-related quality of life at follow-up.
Methods
Participants in this single-arm pre-posttest clinical study included 268 adolescents and young adults and their parents, who completed measures assessing depressive symptoms, health-related quality of life, pain catastrophizing, and psychological flexibility.
Results
Paired t-tests with Bonferroni correction found significant improvements in parents' mental health, functioning, and psychological flexibility, as well as lower levels of parents’ pain catastrophizing from admission to follow-up, with most effect sizes in the small to medium range. Findings from multiple regression analyses suggest that when controlling for depressive symptoms, quality of life, physical symptoms, catastrophizing, and psychological flexibility at admission, change in parent psychological flexibility uniquely predicted improved parent mental health and quality of life at follow-up. Specifically, change in emotional acceptance was the strongest unique predictor of the psychological flexibility subscales when controlling for admission scores.
Conclusions
Interventions that help parents of youth with chronic pain learn to accept uncomfortable emotions and engage in valued action may help support better parent mental health.