Table 2 Patients’ characteristics (n = 150) at Baseline

Variable

Intervention group (n = 75)

Control group (n = 75)

Age (med (range))

55 (21–76)

56 (20–79)

Women (n, %)

60 (80)

57 (76)

Higher education (bachelor degree or higher) (n, %)

58 (77)

57 (76)

Marital life (n, %)

41 (55)

42 (56)

Occupation (n, %)

 Craftsmen, merchants and entrepreneurs

2 (3)

1 (1)

 Executives

6 (8)

7 (9)

 Intermediate professions and employees

25 (33)

19 (25)

 Workers

1 (1)

0 (0)

 Retired

21 (28)

29 (39)

 No occupation

20 (27)

19 (25)

Main chronic disease (n, %)

 Rheumatologic illness

14 (19)

10 (13)

 Neurological illness

7 (9)

10 (13)

 AIDS/HIV

6 (8)

9 (12)

 Gastroenterological illness

4 (5)

9 (12)

 Diabetes

5 (7)

6 (8)

 Fibromyalgia

8 (11)

3 (4)

 Cancer

4 (5)

7 (9)

 Other

48 (64)

54 (72)

Multiple chronic diseases (n, %)

31 (41)

26 (35)

Prior experience with activities available in the intervention (n, %)

12 (16)

24 (32)

Ongoing psychological follow-up (n, %)

22 (29)

17 (23)

Means and Standard Deviations for DERS questionnaire (Baseline)

Intervention group

Control group

Mean (SD)

Mean (SD)

DERS Total

82.8 (21.1)

85.0 (20.2)

DERS Non-acceptance

14.5 (5.65)

15.8 (5.8)

DERS Goals

13.9 (4.0)

14.4 (4.5)

DERS Impulse

12.7 (5.1)

12.7 (5.0)

DERS Awareness

13.7 (4.6)

13.7 (4.35)

DERS Strategy

17.5 (6.0)

17.9 (5.9)

DERS Clarity

10.1 (3.8)

10.3 (3.5)

Means and Standard Deviations for DERS Scales at 6 months

 DERS Total (mean, SD)

78.0 (20.0)

84.9 (21.3)

 DERS Non-acceptance (mean, SD)

14.2 (5.6)

14.7 (5.5)

 DERS Goals (mean, SD)

13.3 (4.6)

14.3 (4.4)

 DERS Impulse (mean, SD)

11.1 (5.1)

12.5 (4.9)

 DERS Awareness (mean, SD)

13.2 (4.4)

14.3 (4.9)

 DERS Strategy (mean, SD)

16.3 (6.1)

18.6 (7.1)

 DERS Clarity (mean, SD)

9.6 (3.3)

10.3 (3.9)