Background: The struggle with pain often interferes with the ability of chronic low back pain (CLBP) patients to pursue important life values due to psychological inflexibility.
Objective: This research examined life values, related inhibitors and facilitators relevant to personalized therapy planning.
Methods: Two hundred and forty-four CLBP patients completed the Chronic Pain Values Inventory (CPVI). Of these, 68 patients were interviewed to assess inhibitors and facilitators related to life values. Mixed-effects models quantitatively examined differences in the values, structuring content analysis served to qualitatively analyze the interviews.
Results: Participants rated the value "family" as being of highest importance and success. The largest discrepancy between importance and success was found for "health". Content analyses revealed a broad range of inhibitors and facilitators related to the examined life values with the highest number of inhibitors related to "work". Facilitators were also found to be of relevance to all life values, but to a lower extent than inhibitors.
Conclusions: The perceived importance and success of life values and their related inhibitors and facilitators may differentially affect CLBP patients. Considering such individual aspects is therefore of utmost importance to improve patient care, as they enable treatment goals and the therapeutic strategies to be adapted accordingly.
Keywords: Low back pain; facilitators; inhibitors; life values; psychological flexibility.