The utility of the Valuing Questionnaire in Chronic Pain

Existing measures of valued living present several limitations: 1) focus on values in life domains, 2) potentially overlap with satisfaction with life, or 3) do not measure obstacles to valued living. The Valuing Questionnaire (VQ) is a 10-item tool of valued living, able to measure Progress in and Obstructions to valued living. This study tests VQ´s measurement invariance in a sample of women with Chronic Pain (CP) (N = 231) and from the general population (N = 268), its temporal stability in CP (6-months) (N = 117) and its incremental validity in a sample of men and women from the general population (N = 169). Results confirmed the VQ´s two-factor structure, as well as its measurement invariance. Also, the VQ was temporally stable (6-months) in CP. Both factors (Progress and Obstruction) were significantly correlated in the expected directions with cognitive fusion, mindful awareness, self-compassion, depressive, anxiety and stress symptoms, and quality of life. VQ Obstruction showed incremental validity, as it significantly predicted depression, anxiety and stress symptoms above and beyond psychological inflexibility and other measures of valued living. The current study shows the VQ's applicability to CP, and provides additional empirical support for its convergent, concurrent, and incremental validity, as well as its temporal stability.