Comparing effectiveness of combined transdiagnostic, mindfulness, and DBT with CBT on psychological inflexibility of pain in people with chronic pain

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Ph.D. Student of Psychology, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan. Iran.

2 Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education and Psychologyو University of Isfahan

3 Assistant Professor of Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.

4 Associate Professor of Psychology, Department of Psychology and Education of Children with Special Needs, Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of metadiagnostic therapy, mindfulness therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy on psychological inflexibility related to pain in individuals with chronic pain associated with emotional problems.
 
Method: This research employed a semi-experimental design with a pre-test, post-test, and follow-up plan, including a control group. The sampling method was purposive. In the quantitative analysis, repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was utilized.
 
Results: The results demonstrated significant effects of measurement time, the interaction between measurement time and group, and the group on average scores of pain avoidance, cognitive fusion, and total pain-related psychological inflexibility. The average scores of pain avoidance and total pain inflexibility in both the combined treatment and cognitive-behavioral therapy groups were significantly lower than those in the control group. However, the combined treatment group showed superior improvement compared to the cognitive-behavioral therapy group. Additionally, the mean cognitive fusion scores of the combined therapy group were significantly lower than those of the cognitive-behavioral therapy group.
 
Conclusion: Both combined therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy were found to be effective in reducing the psychological inflexibility of pain in individuals with chronic pain and emotional problems. The combined therapy, which includes metadiagnostic therapy, mindfulness therapy, and dialectical behavior therapy, may be particularly beneficial for addressing cognitive fusion associated with pain. Therefore, these therapeutic approaches are recommended for individuals suffering from chronic pain.

Keywords

References

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