Chronic Pain Case Study

Evaluation of Practice
The purpose of this study was to obtain clinical information that was needed to address issues in relation to pain, acceptance, and the adjustments in a person’s life who is living with chronic pain. By obtaining the required research information, the social work intern co-facilitated a group called “ ACT for Chronic Pain.” This group is for Veterans who experience chronic pain. It is designed to help with acceptance of thoughts and feeling that go along with chronic pain while helping the Veterans live a life that is rich and meaningful. The social work intern selected this population based on the overall diagnosis of each Veteran, which consisted of Major Depressive Disorder, Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, Schizoaffective Disorder, Psychotic Disorder, and PTSD. Also, the Veteran must experience some form of chronic pain that is affecting their daily life.
The social intern measured the group member’s pain acceptance by using a Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire (CPAQ). It is a 34-item inventory designed to measure acceptance of pain. All items are rated on a 0 (never true) to 6 (always true) scale. Twenty-four items are used to score the questionnaire, which calculates the single total score and nine items
The social work intern and the Field Instructor orientated the group members about the class and what to expect throughout the class cycle. The social work intern gave each member a CPAQ form to complete before the class cycle began, which is the pretest. The social work intern reviewed the outcome based on the responses and shared the results with the Field Instructor. Several of the Veterans scored very low on the activities of engagement and pain willingness section. The intervention for this evaluation of practice was a 12 week class cycle and the class plan, which provided the Veterans with the skills and knowledge to be willing to accept their chronic