Change Narratives That Elude Quantification: A Mixed-Methods Analysis of How People with Chronic Pain Perceive Pain Rehabilitation

Table 1

Definitions of themes and subthemes derived from participant interviews.

Theme or subtheme	Definition
Personal growth	Perceived positive development in the domains of acceptance, resilience and capacity, motivation to engage in meaningful activity, and/or self-worth
Acceptance	Willingness to live with the pain condition and its related limitations.
Resilience and perceived capacity	Perceived physical and mental fitness and ability to overcome obstacles.
Motivation for meaningful activity	Openness to and engagement in valued activities.
Self-worth	The priority placed on personal needs and desires.
Factors supporting personal growth	Aspects of the person or the program that triggered or supported change, development, or progress.
Mindset entering the program	A variety of individual characteristics that participants brought to the program that support change, development, and progress.
Perceived environment of treatment	The perception that the treatment environment was both supportive and validating.
Experiential learning	The process of learning through doing in conjunction with being encouraged to reflect on one’s progress.
Practical/personal tools	The recommendation of strategies that are relevant and applicable to each unique individual.
Ongoing challenges	Perceived barriers of living with chronic pain that continue to pose challenges to personal growth.