NCT03504904

Psychological Treatment Targeting Acceptance and Compassion in Chronic Pain Patients

Psychological Treatment Targeting Acceptance and Compassion in Chronic Pain Patients: a Randomized Controlled, Internet Delivered, Treatment Trial.

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 71 (actual)
• Sponsor: Uppsala University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 70 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This trial is a randomized controlled study aiming to investigate the effect of an 8-week internet-based intervention focused on acceptance and compassion or a wait-list control group. Primary treatments outcomes are Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire (CPAQ), Self-Compassion Scale (SCS) and Pain Disability index (PDI). Secondary outcomes were Montgomery Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS-S), Anxiety sensitivity index (ASI), Quality of Life Inventory (QOLI), Multidimensional Pain Inventory (MPI) and Perseverative Thinking Questionnaire (PTQ). A six month follow-up was conducted. Findings showed significantly greater levels of acceptance (CPAQ), self-compassion (SCS) and reduction in activity limitation (PDI) measured with the primary outcomes for the treatment group after the intervention with effect sizes raging from small to moderate and these results were maintained at six-month follow-up.

Detailed description

The purpose of this study was to explore if a psychological treatment fusing ACT and CFT principles and therapeutic techniques could improve outcome in chronic pain patients with high levels of self-criticism in comparison to a wait-list control group. The treatment was delivered via the internet, guided by trained professional. Internet delivered cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and ACT treatments have shown similar efficacy as compared to face-to-face treatments in a variety of problem areas and across a large range of outcomes. Participants were recruited from a clinical setting. The treatment program consisted of eight sections and was based on a manual based on ACT developed for chronic pain (Buhrman et al., 2013) and a CFT-manual for chronic pain. Following a screening interview participants deemed eligible were asked to complete an assessment battery online. All correspondence concerning treatment was held through a web portal including the online questionnaires and a secure e-mail service. The system handled security issues with two factor authentication. The participants logged in with electronic identification which is a secure service used by banks and in clinical settings. Measures were obtained pre- and post- intervention and administered via the internet. A sixth month follow-up of the treatment group was administered. Mediation measures were also obtained.

Conditions

• Chronic Pain
• Self-Criticism

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Internet-Delivered ACT and CFT	An 8-week internet-based intervention focused on acceptance and compassion. Psychological intervention based on Acceptance and commitment therapy and compassion focused therapy

Timeline

• Start date: 2014-11-13
• Primary completion: 2016-01-23
• Completion: 2016-01-23
• First posted: 2018-04-20
• Last updated: 2019-08-22

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Sweden