A substantial amount of people with a rheumatic
disease perceive invalidation consisting of lack of
understanding and discounting (negative social responses).
To get insight into the potential bufering role of self-efcacy
and pain acceptance against invalidation, this crosssectional
study examined associations between these variables.
Spanish speaking people (N = 1153, 91% female,
mean age 45 ± 11 years) with one or multiple rheumatic
diseases completed online the Illness Invalidation Inventory,
the Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire, and the
Chronic Disease Self-Efcacy Scale. Higher self-efcacy
(t = − 4.80, p = < 0.001) and pain acceptance (t = − 7.99,
p = < 0.001) were additively associated with discounting.
Higher self-efcacy (t = − 5.41, p = < 0.001) and pain
acceptance (t = − 5.71, p = < 0.001) were also additively
associated with lack of understanding. The combined
occurrence of high self-efcacy and high acceptance was
associated most clearly with lower lack of understanding
(interaction: t = − 2.12, p = 0.034). The fndings suggest
the usefulness of examining whether interventions aimed at
increasing self-efcacy and pain acceptance can help people
with rheumatic diseases for whom invalidation is a considerable
burden.Psicologí
