Optimism, Positive and Negative Affect, and Goal Adjustment Strategies: Their Relationship to Activity Patterns in Patients with Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain

Abstract

Objective Activity patterns are the product of pain and of the self-regulation of current goals in the context of pain. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between goal management strategies and activity patterns while taking into account the role of optimism/pessimism and positive/negative affect. Methods Two hundred and thirty-seven patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain filled out questionnaires on optimism, positive and negative affect, pain intensity, and the activity patterns they employed in dealing with their pain. Questionnaires were also administered to assess their general goal management strategies: goal persistence, flexible goal adjustment, and disengagement and reengagement with goals. Results Structural equation modelling showed that higher levels of optimism were related to persistence, flexible goal management, and commitment to new goals. These strategies were associated with higher positive affect, persistence in finishing tasks despite pain, and infrequent avoidance behaviour in the presence or anticipation of pain. Conclusions The strategies used by the patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain to manage their life goals are related to their activity patterns.

Goal adjustment by people living with long-term conditions: A scoping review of literature published from January 2007 to June 2018.

“…Negative Associations: Three negative associations were reported. Goal disengagement was associated with increased depression in participants with multiple sclerosis when accompanied by low reengagement (Neter et al, 2009); and with increased negative affect and activity avoidance in participants with chronic pain who scored high on pessimism (Esteve et al, 2018). A negative association was found between goal reengagement and adjustment in people with lower limb amputation (Coffey et al, 2014a).…”

“…Psychological interventions: Ten studies suggested six psychological interventions or approaches to support goal adjustment. These were (i) cognitive behavioural therapy (or cognitive approaches) (Esteve et al, 2018;Johnson et al, 2012;Schroevers et al, 2011;Schrooten et al, 2012;Van Damme et al, 2016); (ii) acceptance and commitment therapy (Ciere et al, 2017;Coffey et al, 2014a;Schrooten et al, 2012;Thompson et al, 2013); (iii) motivational interviewing (Hart & Evans, 2006;Johnson et al, 2012;Schrooten et al, 2012); (iv) mindfulness (Schroevers et al, 2008(Schroevers et al, , 2011Schrooten et al, 2012); (v) mental contrasting (Hart & Evans, 2006) and (vi) clarification orientated interventions (Schrooten et al, 2012). All suggestions were made in discussion of study findings or relevant literature, rather than empirical evidence of effectiveness of any particular psychological intervention.…”

The Role of Positive Psychological Factors in the Association between Pain Intensity and Pain Interference in Individuals with Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…These factors are shown to be significantly associated with greater active coping skills, which may help people with chronic pain to respond to pain with more adaptive thoughts, optimistic self-statements, goal setting, and activity pacing behaviors [ 26 , 27 , 28 ]. Pain acceptance, pain self-efficacy, and optimism have also all been shown to be associated with less disability, pain, disease activity, distress, and medication use [ 19 , 20 , 29 , 30 , 31 ], as well as with greater positive affect, well-being, hope, and treatment adherence behaviors [ 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 ].…”

Variables protecting mental health in the Spanish population affected by the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Buckingham and Richardson (Buckingham & Richardson, 2020 ) relate the level of optimism in individuals to their ability to accept adverse situations, interpreting and assigning meaning to the situation in order to maintain engagement in important life activities. Esteve et al (Esteve et al, 2018 ) found higher levels of optimism to be associated with individuals’ ability to persist and be flexible with their goals, which is in turn related to task persistence and lower activity avoidance despite the adverse situation.…”