Non-specifieke factoren bij chronische pijn patiënten tijdens een multidisciplinaire behandeling

In recent years, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is used more often as part of a multidisciplinary treatment of chronic pain. In spite of all the research about the effectiveness of ACT, there is little information about which factors outside the treatment plays a role in treatment outcome. The purpose of this study is to identify the non-specific factors, that also play a role in chronic pain patients during a multidisciplinary treatment. In addition, this study examined per pain patient the development of psychological flexibility, and whether there was a link between naming the non-specific factors and the development of psychological flexibility. Four chronic pain patients were weekly interviewed for eight weeks to determine the non-specific factors. The interviews were scored on acceptance, values‐based action and application on a scale from 1 to 3. The average of the three scales taken together was taken as measure for psychological flexibility. In the interviews various non-specific factors have been addressed, which are placed in five different themes. During the treatment this can be taken into account. Additionally, decreasing psychological flexibility seems associated with non-specific factors that are negative experienced and vice versa. Non-specific factors may play a greater role in the development of psychological flexibility than imagined.