Kortte Kathleen B, Veiel Lori, Batten Sonja V, Wegener Stephen T
Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
VA Maryland Health Care System.
Rehabil Psychol. 2009 Feb;54(1):91-98. doi: 10.1037/a0014703.
To establish psychometric properties of the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (AAQ), a measure of avoidance, in medical rehabilitation populations.
Cross-sectional and longitudinal.
Three acute, inpatient rehabilitation units.
One hundred thirty-nine adults with spinal cord dysfunction, stroke, amputation, or orthopedic surgery.
AAQ, Hope Scale, Spiritual Well-Being Scale, Positive and Negative Affect Scale, Brief Symptom Inventory, Hopkins Rehabilitation Engagement Rating Scale, Functional Independence Measure, Craig Handicap Assessment and Reporting Technique, Satisfaction with Life Scale.
The AAQ has adequate internal consistency (alpha = .70), is best understood with a two-factor solution, is positively correlated with depression (r = .36, p < .01) and negative affect (r = .41, p < .001), and is negatively correlated with hope (r = -.51, p < .001), positive affect (r = -.33, p < .001), and spiritual well-being (r = -.32, p < .001). Predictive relationships with life satisfaction (beta = -.40, p < .001) and level of handicap (beta = -.20, p < .014) were found at 3-month follow-up.
Findings provide preliminary support that the AAQ is reliable and valid in medical populations and that avoidance plays an important role in rehabilitation outcomes.
