The impact of acceptance and commitment therapy on pain catastrophizing: The case of hemodialysis patients in Iran

Abstract

In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in research and treatment of chronic pain psychological stress of the patients suffering from kidney failure and undergoing hemodialysis treatment. The present study set out to investigate the practical effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy on improving the pain catastrophizing of hemodialysis patients. A quasi-experimental design was used in which a target sample of 30 hemodialysis patients, who received treatment at Dolatabad Hemodialysis Center, Isfahan, Iran, volunteered to participate in this study. They were then randomly divided into two groups (i.e., control and experimental groups), 15 each. Based on acceptance and commitment approach, the experimental sample received group-based instruction during an eight session period offered twice a week. The participants in both treatment and control groups were given pain catastrophizing scale before and after the treatment. The findings revealed that participants receiving group instruction based on acceptance and commitment training approach showed remarkably lower pain catastrophizing compared with those in the control group.