Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is a long-term condition which is related to a number of negative consequences including reduced productivity at work, increased number of sick leave , depression and emotional difficulties among others. Psychological interventions, particular Cognitive Behavioral therapies (CBT) are deemed effective in reducing the negative consequences following a diagnosis of a chronic pain condition. Though research provides substantial evidence for the CBT effectiveness, not all patients manage to reduce pain intensity or improve their physical and psychosocial functioning. Also, CBT appears with only small effect sizes on variables considered to be core domains in chronic pain. Finally, there are criticism targets on the lack of clear mechanisms underlying the process of change in CBT. New CBT therapeutic approaches, such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focus on changing individuals\' relation with their inner experiences. They utilize mindfulness and acceptance processes, instead of directly changing or controlling the content of internal experiences, as CBT does. ACT has received support for its effectiveness in chronic pain but there are very few clinical randomized trials to compare it with traditional CBT. The purpose of this study is to determine whether an ACT-based intervention when compared with a CBT-based intervention designed for chronic pain patients is efficacious in reducing pain interference, pain-related disability, and psychological distress. Also this study aims to examine whether any therapeutic effects result due to the effect of acceptance, for those participating in the ACT group or control appraisal, for those participating in the CBT group. Better knowledge of the mechanism of therapeutic change can help us to recognize which patients can be benefit from which approach.