Acceptance and commitment therapy and selective optimization with compensation for older people with chronic pain: a pilot study

The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of a treatment program based on acceptance and commitment therapy and training in selection, optimization and compensation (SOC) strategies, with a view to increasing functional autonomy and increasing the quantity of activities of older people with chronic pain living in nursing homes. Participants were ten elderly people aged between 71 and 91, assigned to an intervention group and a control group. Functional performance levels, frequency of use of SOC strategies, pain acceptance, beliefs associated with age and pain, emotional well-being, and the extent to which their pain affected various activities of daily living were assessed before and after the intervention. After the treatment, the belief that medication is the main possible treatment for pain in the intervention group decreased significantly and the satisfaction with the achievement of life goals was significantly higher. The results of our study suggest that such interventions could help older people with pain to improve their functional performance, improve their emotional well-being and reduce negative beliefs associated with pain.