A biopsychosocial perspective on endometriosis : the importance of psychological inflexibility
(2026) In Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics 313(1).- Abstract
Introduction: Treatment strategies for endometriosis have traditionally been biomedical. There is a need for a more multidimensional understanding of endometriosis and more targeted and individualized treatment interventions, including psychological approaches. Methods: The aims of this study were twofold: (1) to identify key biopsychosocial characteristics in individuals attending a tertiary clinic for endometriosis and (2) to inform the development of future, targeted, and efficacious interventions by examining the importance of psychological processes central to two scientific models, pain catastrophizing and fear of movement from the fear-avoidance model, and psychological inflexibility from the psychological flexibility model.... (More)
Introduction: Treatment strategies for endometriosis have traditionally been biomedical. There is a need for a more multidimensional understanding of endometriosis and more targeted and individualized treatment interventions, including psychological approaches. Methods: The aims of this study were twofold: (1) to identify key biopsychosocial characteristics in individuals attending a tertiary clinic for endometriosis and (2) to inform the development of future, targeted, and efficacious interventions by examining the importance of psychological processes central to two scientific models, pain catastrophizing and fear of movement from the fear-avoidance model, and psychological inflexibility from the psychological flexibility model. Results: Psychosocial variables, more specifically perceived control and powerlessness, social support, and depression, were of particular importance to the symptom structure in this patient population. In contrast, biological factors appeared to have low relevance within this network. When aiming to inform the development of future, promising psychological interventions for endometriosis, psychological inflexibility emerged as the most important psychological process variable in the symptom network. Conclusions: A multidimensional approach based on the biopsychosocial model appears valuable for understanding endometriosis. Treatment interventions grounded in the psychological flexibility model may hold promise for this patient population, a possibility that warrants further investigation in future studies.
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- author
- Åkerblom, Sophia LU ; Peppler Jönsson, Ingrid ; Ringqvist, Åsa LU ; Nordengren, Johanna LU and Zhao, Xiang
- organization
- publishing date
- 2026-12
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Biopsychosocial model, Endometriosis, Kinesiophobia, Pain catastrophizing, Psychological inflexibility
- in
- Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics
- volume
- 313
- issue
- 1
- article number
- 108
- publisher
- Springer
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:105030997988
- pmid:41733684
- ISSN
- 0932-0067
- DOI
- 10.1007/s00404-025-08276-0
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2026.
- id
- 930590b9-2cba-4083-ad4c-52e6a9a5ba9a
- date added to LUP
- 2026-04-07 13:30:55
- date last changed
- 2026-06-02 19:59:39
@article{930590b9-2cba-4083-ad4c-52e6a9a5ba9a,
abstract = {{<p>Introduction: Treatment strategies for endometriosis have traditionally been biomedical. There is a need for a more multidimensional understanding of endometriosis and more targeted and individualized treatment interventions, including psychological approaches. Methods: The aims of this study were twofold: (1) to identify key biopsychosocial characteristics in individuals attending a tertiary clinic for endometriosis and (2) to inform the development of future, targeted, and efficacious interventions by examining the importance of psychological processes central to two scientific models, pain catastrophizing and fear of movement from the fear-avoidance model, and psychological inflexibility from the psychological flexibility model. Results: Psychosocial variables, more specifically perceived control and powerlessness, social support, and depression, were of particular importance to the symptom structure in this patient population. In contrast, biological factors appeared to have low relevance within this network. When aiming to inform the development of future, promising psychological interventions for endometriosis, psychological inflexibility emerged as the most important psychological process variable in the symptom network. Conclusions: A multidimensional approach based on the biopsychosocial model appears valuable for understanding endometriosis. Treatment interventions grounded in the psychological flexibility model may hold promise for this patient population, a possibility that warrants further investigation in future studies.</p>}},
author = {{Åkerblom, Sophia and Peppler Jönsson, Ingrid and Ringqvist, Åsa and Nordengren, Johanna and Zhao, Xiang}},
issn = {{0932-0067}},
keywords = {{Biopsychosocial model; Endometriosis; Kinesiophobia; Pain catastrophizing; Psychological inflexibility}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{1}},
publisher = {{Springer}},
series = {{Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics}},
title = {{A biopsychosocial perspective on endometriosis : the importance of psychological inflexibility}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00404-025-08276-0}},
doi = {{10.1007/s00404-025-08276-0}},
volume = {{313}},
year = {{2026}},
}