Date of Award
Spring 6-25-2018
Document Type
Doctoral Research Paper
Degree Name
Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology
Organizational Unit
Graduate School of Professional Psychology
First Advisor
Laura Meyer
Second Advisor
Kimberly Gorgens
Third Advisor
Jefferson Crowe
Copyright Statement / License for Reuse
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Keywords
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), Adolescent, Chronic pain, Pectus excavatum
Abstract
The most common chest wall deformity, Pectus Excavatum (PE), is a congenital deformity in which the sternum and adjoining chest wall cave inwards toward the spine (Lawson et al., 2003). While corrective surgical procedures have been shown to have positive effects on the physical and psychosocial well-being of patients with PE (Krasopoulos, Dusmet, Ladas, & Goldstraw, 2006), often surgical procedures, such as those done to correct PE, can result in what is known as Chronic Post-Surgical Pain (CPSP). CPSP has been shown to have great bearing on the patient’s overall well-being (Weinrib et al., 2017), meaning that while the corrective surgery for PE may positively alter the aesthetic of the chest-wall deformity, there is a lot of physical and emotional recovery to be expected post-surgery. This case study begins by briefly reviewing chronic pain, PE, and the related surgical experiences. Then it focuses on the psychological aspects of an adolescent male’s chronic pain treatment during his recovery from PE corrective surgery and his progress towards a more fulfilling life using an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy approach.
Copyright Date
4-25-2018
Publication Statement
Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
Rights Holder
Hayley N. Roberts
Provenance
Received from Author
File Format
application/pdf
Language
English (eng)
Extent
31 pgs
File Size
642 KB
Recommended Citation
Roberts, Hayley N., "Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as an Intervention for Adolescent Chronic Pain Related to Pectus Excavatum: A Case Study" (2018). Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects. 294.
https://digitalcommons.du.edu/capstone_masters/294