(501) Examining committed action in chronic pain: further validation and clinical utility of the committed action questionnaire

Abstract

Persistent pain avoidance efforts among those suffering from chronic pain conditions can decrease quality of life and overall functioning by narrowing response options and isolating individuals from meaningful activities. Psychosocial treatments have therefore traditionally emphasized altering behavior to maximize effective functioning. Additionally, interventions have highlighted decreasing pain avoidance and increasing engagement with valued activities, a hallmark of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Within ACT, behavior consistent with the pursuit of a meaningful life has been termed committed action, which involves a flexible persistence over time in living according to what one values. Although committed action is considered a core process in ACT, only one study to date has examined a measure of committed action and its association with salient measures of functioning in chronic pain. The purpose of the present study was to analyze the reliability of the Committed Action Questionnaire (CAQ) in a sample of 149 chronic pain patients, confirm the factor structure of the measure, and examine the associations between CAQ scores and measures of pain-related functioning. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the two-factor solution, composed of subscales labeled Values Persistence and Effective Action. The regression analyses, which examined the direct effects of the subscales on psychosocial functioning, indicated that the CAQ subscales had significant associations with important measures of psychological functioning after accounting for appropriate covariates, such as pain intensity, engagement in valued activities, and relevant background variables. The overall findings provide additional support for the CAQ as a measure of adaptive functioning among those with chronic pain conditions.