Table 4 Qualitative Data

Best/Most Likeable Features

Learned to live with pain

Handouts as reminders of good pain management

The [ACT] matrix – quite often, they [exercises & classes] were educational and revealing – about how I was thinking about handling the pain

Just having the info and written instructions and could study it and practice what was in there and there were some good ideas in there

Mindfulness and meditation

Neutral - information was not new or helpful

Trying to focus on other things other than the pain – breathe, meditate, all of it

Been kind of dealing with [pain] for a long time so a lot of these tips/techniques I already learned about – wasn’t really new

Small Groups

Great Research Assistant

I like that it was just 2 people in the class—more intimate/ personalized/ customized

[RA] was personable, remembered things – very flexible in scheduling

Worst/Most Disliked Features

Wanted greater dose

Ineffective intervention

I wish I could have done more sessions. Need more practicing, more sessions

It was frustrating to just get the paper; just do breathing

Paperwork and questionnaires

Paperwork and questionnaires

Filling out the forms every time

I don’t know...filling out all the paperwork. Wasn’t that big a deal … just the same questions over and over

Nothing

Nothing

There wasn’t really anything I disliked … it was good, the mental learning as well as doing

[There was] nothing that I disliked. Thought it was good.

Changes in Thinking About or Managing Pain

Changed relationship with pain/how handle pain

Reinforced good self-management

I know that pain isn’t always going to stop... you can learn to live with it using techniques...[the] mind is a powerful thing, so if you can help your mind to believe it, you can do

Improved a little bit. Made me give more thought to what I do and how I live. Doing prevention rather than treatment

Hope

Not much changed

There is a next chapter … this won’t go on forever … there are things I can do besides quit or give in

It was something that I was already using, I’m more of the type that would rather read up on it than sit at home and take meds, [so it] didn’t really affect me one way or another because I was doing it already

Impact on Quality of Life

Changed perspective

Motivation/accountability

I was able to stop dwelling on pain and stop being sorry for myself, was able to look at things clearer

Making a choice every day [to follow goal] – I used to lay in bed a whole weekend. That subsided during the study. I had to think to myself, “do you want to be a 7 or a 1?!” on the questionnaires

Acquisition of tools to help live with pain

Being more active/using skills

[Mindfulness] helped me get rid of the thought process I was in

[I got] a little more active but at my own pace … I focused on a lot of relaxation and sleep. Normally I don’t focus on sleep as much as I need, don’t rest, get busy with projects and won’t let my body rest

No changes

It didn’t really change

Additional Feedback

Content of intervention

Benefits of research

To me it was a good program and think it will help others as well

Happy to advance research. Even though I didn’t get what the other group got. [It was] still valuable

Thoughts on medication

Need for more clinical services

Meds aren’t everything, giving people strategies [is important], and different people need different things

People like me, we get lost

Process

I was looking for excuses not to go places or do things. The intense sessions weekly – that was very helpful