CLINICAL TRIAL article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Psycho-Oncology
This article is part of the Research TopicIntegrating Psychological Care in Palliative Settings: Addressing Challenges and Enriching Patient SupportView all articles
Feasibility of an ACT-based group intervention for Malaysian breast cancer survivors with chronic pain
Provisionally accepted
JIA HANG LIM1,2
Mahadir Ahmad1*- 1Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Malaysia
- 2University of Cyberjaya, Cyberjaya, Malaysia
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Breast cancer survivors frequently experience chronic pain, which can impair daily functioning and overall quality of life. This single-arm feasibility study examined the acceptability and preliminary effects of a group-based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) intervention among Malaysian breast cancer survivors with chronic pain. Twelve participants were enrolled (age range 45–62 years; M = 55.3), and nine completed the full intervention. The programme consisted of eight weekly 90-minute sessions facilitated by a clinical psychologist with a minimum of three years of clinical experience. The intervention targeted key ACT processes, including acceptance of difficult internal experiences, present-moment awareness/mindfulness, and values-guided behavioural action. Acceptability was assessed using qualitative feedback on clarity, relevance, and perceived usefulness. Participants reported that the intervention was understandable, accessible, and helpful in increasing awareness of the interaction between pain and emotion, as well as in strengthening confidence to manage illness-related distress. Participants also described greater psychological flexibility to live with pain while remaining engaged in personally meaningful activities. Reported barriers included logistical constraints (e.g. travel, scheduling), perceived intensity of weekly sessions, and the need for further cultural adaptation of language and examples. Pain intensity following the intervention was rated at 2.89/10 (SD = 1.27). Pre-intervention pain ratings were not collected; therefore, conclusions regarding change in pain severity over time are limited. Nonetheless, the pattern of feedback and completion suggests that a brief, psychologist-led ACT group is both feasible and acceptable in this population. Overall, these findings support the viability of ACT as a culturally adaptable psychosocial approach for Malaysian breast cancer survivors with chronic pain. Refinements to delivery format and contextual tailoring are recommended, and a randomized controlled trial is warranted to evaluate longitudinal clinical outcomes.
Keywords: intervention, breast cancer, Pain Acceptance, clinical health psychology, Women's Health
Received: 10 Oct 2025; Accepted: 31 Oct 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 LIM and Ahmad. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Mahadir Ahmad, mahadir@ukm.edu.my
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