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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain

N/A

Waitlist Available

Led By Gregory P. Beehler, PhD

Research Sponsored by VA Office of Research and Development

Eligibility Criteria Checklist

Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial

Must have

Veterans age >=18 and <=79 years

A diagnosis of musculoskeletal pain of >three months

Must not have

Unwilling to have treatment sessions audio recorded

Diagnosed with major or minor neurocognitive disorder

Timeline

Screening 3 weeks

Treatment Varies

Follow Up 12-weeks

Awards & highlights

No Placebo-Only Group

Summary

This trial will test if a six-session cognitive behavioral therapy intervention is effective for treating chronic pain in Veterans.

Who is the study for?

Veterans aged 18-79 with chronic musculoskeletal pain and functional impairment, conversant in English, stable on any pain or psychiatric meds for two months, and have used VA primary care in the past year. Excluded are those with substance use problems, unstable psychiatric status, pending disability claims, recent psychotherapy for pain, planned surgeries for pain or imminent suicide risk.

What is being tested?

The trial is testing Brief Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for Chronic Pain against usual primary care treatments. It aims to see if six sessions of Brief CBT can improve physical activity interference due to pain, psychological distress and other outcomes compared to standard care.

What are the potential side effects?

Since this intervention involves therapy rather than medication there may not be direct 'side effects' like drugs have; however participants might experience emotional discomfort discussing painful experiences during sessions.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

You may be eligible if you check “Yes” for the criteria below

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I am a veteran aged between 18 and 79.

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I have had muscle or joint pain for more than three months.

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My pain level is at least 4 out of 10.

Exclusion Criteria

You may be eligible for the trial if you check “No” for criteria below:

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I am not comfortable with my treatment sessions being audio recorded.

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I have been diagnosed with a significant memory or thinking problem.

Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks3 visits

Treatment ~ Varies

Follow Up ~ 12-weeks

Screening ~ 3 weeks

Treatment ~ Varies

Follow Up ~12-weeks

This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and 12-weeks for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Study objectives can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.

Primary study objectives

Pain

Secondary study objectives

Ability to Participate in Social Roles and Activities - short form (APSRA) to assess change at 12 week follow up

Brief Pain Inventory -- Pain Intensity subscale (BPI-P) to assess change at 12 week follow-up

Patient Health Questionnaire -- 9 (PHQ-9) to assess change at 12 week follow-up

+2 more

Other study objectives

Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) to assess role in mediation at 12 week follow up

Pain

Awards & Highlights

No Placebo-Only Group

All patients enrolled in this study will receive some form of active treatment.

Trial Design

2Treatment groups

Experimental Treatment

Group I: Treatment as usual onlyExperimental Treatment1 Intervention

Participants assigned to treatment as usual will receive standard medical care from their primary care provider including pain medications, brief advice (e.g., use of relative rest, application of heat or ice, other self-care strategies), or referral to pain-related adjunctive interventions (e.g., physical therapy), as indicated.

Group II: Brief CBT for Chronic Pain and treatment as usualExperimental Treatment2 Interventions

Participants will receive Brief CBT-CP in addition to usual primary care treatment. Brief CBT-CP is a manualized protocol that includes six, 30-minute sessions over the course of 6-12 weeks. Session one focuses on foundational pain education and the development of treatment goals. Session two emphasizes balanced engagement in physical activity and pleasurable events. Session three emphasizes skills training for easily implemented relaxation techniques. Sessions four and five focus on recognizing and modifying unhelpful thoughts that negatively impact pain. Session six focuses on relapse prevention and independent implementation of CBT-CP skills following treatment.

0 / 5Eligibility criteria met