SynthesisFrontiers in psychology2022
Which outcome variables are associated with psychological inflexibility/flexibility for chronic pain patients? A three level meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Frontiers in psychology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Do Acceptance- and Mindfulness-Based Interventions Improve Psychological Flexibility in People With Chronic Pain? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.European journal of pain (London, England) · 2026Pooled it
- Psychological mechanism of acceptance and commitment therapy and rational emotive behavior therapy for treating hoarding: Evidence from randomized controlled trials.Frontiers in public health · 2023Trial
- Psychological correlates of pain catastrophizing and disability in patients with Achilles tendinopathy: The roles of resilience and psychological inflexibility.Acta orthopaedica et traumatologica turcica · 2026Article
- Non-Suicidal Self-Injury-Related Implicit Cognition Among Chinese Adolescents: The Roles of Psychological Flexibility and School Climate.Journal of youth and adolescence · 2025Article
- Response: Commentary: Outlining a novel psychometric model of mental flexibility and affect dynamics.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
- Personality and Pain Outcomes in Rheumatic Disease: The Mediating Role of Psychological Flexibility.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Measurement of psychological inflexibility: an examination of the psychometric properties of the AAQ-3 compared to AAQ-II.BMC psychology · 2023Article
- The influence of cultural and religious factors on cross-national variations in the prevalence of chronic back and neck pain: an analysis of data from the global burden of disease 2019 study.Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Mental flexibility assessment: A research protocol for patients with Parkinson's Disease and Anorexia Nervosa.PloS one · 2023Article
- Outlining a novel psychometric model of mental flexibility and affect dynamics.Frontiers in psychology · 2023Review
- Cognitive Defusion and Psychological Flexibility Predict Negative Body Image in the Chinese College Students: Evidence from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The psychological flexibility model can be seen as a basis for an integrated and progressive psychological approach to chronic pain management. Some researchers suggest that psychological flexibility and inflexibility represent distinct processes and constructs. This meta-analysis is the first to provide a summary estimate of the overall effect size for the relationship between psychological (in)flexibility and common outcomes among chronic pain patients. The research protocol was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO, https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/), registration number CRD42021285705. Four databases were searched (PsycINFO; PubMed; Web of Science, CINAHL) along with reference lists. Thirty-six cross-sectional studies were included (7,779 participants). Meta-analyses (random effects model) indicated a significant medium negative association between psychological flexibility and pain intensity or functional impairment. The present study also indicated a significant small to medium association between psychological inflexibility and pain intensity, a nearly large association between psychological inflexibility and functional impairment as well as the quality of life, and a large association between psychological inflexibility and anxiety/depression. Due to the limited number of included studies, the relationship between risk behavior and psychological inflexibility may not be significant. Types of countries and instruments measuring psychological inflexibility may explain part of the heterogeneity. These findings may carry significant implications for chronic pain patients regarding the potential relationship between psychological inflexibility or flexibility and these outcomes. It may consequently form the basis for more robust testing of causal and manipulable relationships. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, identifier: CRD42021285705.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.