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Behavioral Intervention

Gratitude Exercises for Acute Pain

N/A
Recruiting
Led By Nathan Deichert, PhD
Research Sponsored by Black Hills State University
Eligibility Criteria Checklist
Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial
Must have
must be pain-free
must be at least 18 years old
Timeline
Screening 3 weeks
Treatment Varies
Follow Up up to 1.5 minutes of cold pressor test

Summary

This trial aims to see if a short gratitude exercise can help people cope better with sudden pain. They will also look at how genetics play a role in both pain perception and mental well-being.

Who is the study for?
This trial is for adults who are currently pain-free and at least 18 years old. It's designed to explore how a positive mindset, specifically gratitude, can affect the way people experience pain.
What is being tested?
The study tests a behavioral writing intervention that encourages gratitude to see if it changes psychological and physiological reactions to acute pain. The trial will also look into how genetic differences might influence these effects.
What are the potential side effects?
Since this is a behavioral intervention focused on writing about gratitude, there are no direct medical side effects expected from participating in this study.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

You may be eligible if you check “Yes” for the criteria below
Select...
I do not experience any pain.
Select...
I am 18 years old or older.

Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks
Treatment ~ Varies
Follow Up ~immediately after the cold pressor test
This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and immediately after the cold pressor test for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Study objectives can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.
Primary study objectives
Change in Subjective Pain Ratings from Baseline to 10-minutes Post Cold Pressor Test
Differences in Pain Onset to Cold Pressor Test
Differences in Pain Tolerance to Cold Pressor Test
Secondary study objectives
Differences in Autonomic Nervous System Responsivity
Differences in Pain-Related Cognition

Trial Design

2Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Placebo Group
Group I: Gratitude WritingExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
In the gratitude writing condition, participants will write continuously for 5 minutes about someone they are grateful for.
Group II: Neutral WritingPlacebo Group1 Intervention
Participants in the neutral writing condition will write continuously for 5 minutes about how they got to the research laboratory.

Find a Location

Who is running the clinical trial?

Black Hills State UniversityLead Sponsor
4 Previous Clinical Trials
250 Total Patients Enrolled
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)NIH
299 Previous Clinical Trials
248,877 Total Patients Enrolled
2 Trials studying Acute Pain
1,092 Patients Enrolled for Acute Pain
Nathan Deichert, PhDPrincipal InvestigatorBlack Hills State University
~100 spots leftby Aug 2025