Initial Validation of the Self Experiences Questionnaire-2 in People with Chronic Pain

Purpose

The struggle with sense of self has a fundamental impact on health and wellbeing in people with chronic pain. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) particularly includes a process related to sense of self, called self-as-context (SAC). A measure of SAC, called the Self Experiences Questionnaire-8 (SEQ-8) has been developed in people with chronic pain. A brief version of the SEQ can facilitate more efficient assessment in clinical settings, and further research using intensive assessment to produce situation and time-sensitive information on SAC. The aim of the study was to establish a two-item version of the SEQ.

Methods

This study used secondary analyses of data from 453 people with chronic pain.

Results

The newly validated SEQ-2 demonstrated acceptable reliability, Cronbach’s α = 0.77, and performed well in assessing SAC, with 88.6% of the variance in the SEQ-8 explained by the SEQ-2. The construct validity of the SEQ-2 was supported by its associations with other theoretically-specified processes, r = .25-0.51, p < .001. and measures of functioning, |r|=0.18-0.40, p < .001. The incremental validity of the SEQ-2 was relatively limited, |β|=0.08-0.34. Conclusions: The SEQ-2 appears to be an acceptable measure of SAC. The brief version of the SEQ can facilitate the application of individualised research methods and personalised pain treatments, informed by intensive assessment.