NCT07490691

Painhunting Therapy for Interpersonal Loss-Related Depression

Efficacy of Painhunting Therapy for Interpersonal Loss-Related Depression: A Waitlist-Controlled Randomized Pilot Trial

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 72 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Painhunting LLP · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This pilot randomized controlled trial evaluates the efficacy of Painhunting therapy, a brief structured psychotherapy, for adults with significant interpersonal loss and comorbid depressive symptoms in Kazakhstan. Seventy-two participants will be randomly assigned to receive either immediate Painhunting therapy (3 sessions over 3-4 weeks) or a 4-week waitlist control condition. Therapy is delivered in-person in Astana or remotely via secure video conferencing (Zoom). Therapy sessions will be delivered by five trained Painhunting practitioners under the supervision of the Principal Investigator. The primary outcomes are changes in depression severity (PHQ-9) and complicated grief symptoms (ICG) from baseline to post-treatment. Secondary outcomes include anxiety, PTSD symptoms, and functional disability. All waitlist participants receive treatment after the waiting period.

Detailed description

Interpersonal loss, including experiences such as relationship dissolution, betrayal, abandonment, or the death of a close person, is a significant psychological stressor that can lead to persistent emotional distress, depressive symptoms, and functional impairment. A subset of individuals exposed to interpersonal loss develops prolonged or complicated grief reactions accompanied by depressive symptoms and difficulties in emotional regulation. Painhunting therapy is a structured psychotherapeutic approach designed to identify emotionally significant past incidents associated with current psychological distress and to facilitate emotional processing of these experiences. Preliminary evidence from a case series study (Paper 1) and a thematic analysis of mechanisms of change (Paper 2) suggests potential therapeutic benefits, but controlled evidence is currently lacking. This randomized pilot trial uses a waitlist-controlled design with stratified block randomization, blinded outcome assessment, and a pre-registered analysis plan to provide initial controlled evidence regarding the efficacy of Painhunting therapy for individuals experiencing depressive symptoms related to interpersonal loss. The study is coordinated from Astana, Kazakhstan. Therapeutic sessions are conducted either in person or via secure video conferencing. The study is conducted in Russian and Kazakh, with participants selecting their preferred language at enrollment and being assigned to a therapist fluent in that language.

Conditions

• Loss-Related Depression
• Interpersonal Loss
• Complicated Grief

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Painhunting Therapy	Painhunting therapy is a structured psychotherapeutic intervention designed to identify emotionally significant past experiences associated with current psychological distress and facilitate emotional processing of these experiences. The intervention consists of three individual sessions delivered over 3-4 weeks by trained practitioners.

Timeline

• Start date: 2026-03-23
• Primary completion: 2026-08-31
• Completion: 2026-10-30
• First posted: 2026-03-24
• Last updated: 2026-04-07

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Kazakhstan