A qualitative analysis of patient-identified adaptive behaviour changes following interdisciplinary Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for chronic pain

Experiences of patient-led chronic pain peer support groups after pain management programmes: A qualitative study

OBJECTIVE

A qualitative study of patients' experiences and the impacts of peer support groups that patients maintained after UK NHS group pain management programmes (PMPs).

DESIGN

Long-term impacts of group PMPs remain unclear, with indications that positive effects can fade. We evaluated a model of continued peer support, co-produced by patients and clinicians, to maintain the therapeutic impact of PMP groups. A protocol was implemented that encouraged patients to continue to meet in their established PMP group for patient-led peer support (without clinical input) after PMPs finished. Peer support aimed to consolidate self-management, and advance social life recovery. We examined the impacts that groups had on attendees, and why some dropped out.

METHODS

Semi-structured interviews with 38 patients and 7 clinicians, analysed thematically.

RESULTS

Friendship bonds and mutual understandings of effective ways of coping with pain encouraged participants to maintain recovery following PMPs. After PMP professional involvement has ended, these meetings enabled patients to develop greater agency from the shared sense of helping bring about new achievements or averting setbacks. Peer support extended the understanding of what is possible when living with pain. However, continuing meetings were not right for all. Reasons for not attending included lack of connection with peers.

CONCLUSIONS

Co-produced peer support groups after PMPs can be a low-cost, effective social intervention, providing emotional, practical and social benefits, with improved self-management skills, stronger social connections and some reduced use of health services. Project resources for developing peer support meetings after PMPs are freely available online.

Targeting Chronic Pain in Primary Care Settings by Using Behavioral Health Consultants: Methods of a Randomized Pragmatic Trial

BACKGROUND

Manualized cognitive and behavioral therapies are increasingly used in primary care environments to improve nonpharmacological pain management. The Brief Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain (BCBT-CP) intervention, recently implemented by the Defense Health Agency for use across the military health system, is a modular, primary care-based treatment program delivered by behavioral health consultants integrated into primary care for patients experiencing chronic pain. Although early data suggest that this intervention improves functioning, it is unclear whether the benefits of BCBT-CP are sustained. The purpose of this paper is to describe the methods of a pragmatic clinical trial designed to test the effect of monthly telehealth booster contacts on treatment retention and long-term clinical outcomes for BCBT-CP treatment, as compared with BCBT-CP without a booster, in 716 Defense Health Agency beneficiaries with chronic pain.

DESIGN

A randomized pragmatic clinical trial will be used to examine whether telehealth booster contacts improve outcomes associated with BCBT-CP treatments. Monthly booster contacts will reinforce BCBT-CP concepts and the home practice plan. Outcomes will be assessed 3, 6, 12, and 18 months after the first appointment for BCBT-CP. Focus groups will be conducted to assess the usability, perceived effectiveness, and helpfulness of the booster contacts.

SUMMARY

Most individuals with chronic pain are managed in primary care, but few are offered biopsychosocial approaches to care. This pragmatic brief trial will test whether a pragmatic enhancement to routine clinical care, monthly booster contacts, results in sustained functional changes among patients with chronic pain receiving BCBT-CP in primary care.

A Comparative Meta-Analysis of Unidisciplinary Psychology and Interdisciplinary Treatment Outcomes Following Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Adults with Chronic Pain

While much of the literature provides positive support for psychological interventions for chronic pain, 2 recent meta-analyses indicate small to moderate benefits only. This inconsistency in findings suggests that there are other treatment-related variables to consider. One possible consideration pertains to treatment format, as psychological models form the basis for both unidisciplinary psychology and integrated interdisciplinary treatments for chronic pain. Therefore, a comparative meta-analysis of unidisciplinary and interdisciplinary treatments was performed to determine whether there were differences in treatment effect size (ES) at post-treatment and follow-ups of up to 1 year. One specific treatment model, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), was investigated as it was felt that this literature was extensive enough to perform the planned analysis, while also being circumscribed enough in size to make it feasible. In total, 29 articles met inclusion criteria, 13 reported outcomes for unidisciplinary ACT, and 15 for interdisciplinary ACT. At both post-treatment and follow-up, interdisciplinary ACT had a greater ES for physical disability, psychosocial impact, and depression compared to unidisciplinary ACT. No differences in ES were observed for pain intensity, pain-related anxiety, or pain acceptance. Findings remained the same when study heterogeneity was considered. There was a significant difference observed between treatment format and treatment duration-on average, unidisciplinary interventions were of shorter duration than interdisciplinary interventions. Moderation analyses examining the relation between total treatment duration and ES generally indicated a moderate positive relation between treatment length and ES. This relation was strong for psychosocial impact. PERSPECTIVE: A comparative meta-analysis examined the relative ES of unidisciplinary (ie, clinical psychology only) and interdisciplinary ACT for chronic pain in 29 studies. The ES for interdisciplinary ACT was larger than unidisciplinary ACT for physical disability, psychosocial impact, and depression. No differences were present for pain intensity, anxiety, and acceptance.

Online teletherapy for chronic pain: A systematic review

OBJECTIVE

A systematic review designed to evaluate the benefits of remote group pain management for persons with chronic pain was performed.

METHODS

PubMed, EMBASE and PsychINFO databases were searched in April 2019. Eligible studies evaluated teletherapy for chronic pain based on set inclusion and exclusion criteria. Two reviewers independently screened eligible studies, assessed risk of bias and extracted data. Each study design was rated and study quality was assessed using an 11-point scale of methodological quality.

RESULTS

Comprehensive searches identified 12 studies that met all inclusion/exclusion criteria and each study was assessed for type of technology, study design, outcome measures, study findings and limitations. No published studies investigated synchronous teletherapy for groups of chronic pain patients. Methods of assessment varied considerably across studies. Strength of evidence was moderate and many of the selected studies had issues with treatment compliance/adherence and selection bias. Teletherapy strategies for persons with chronic pain were shown to improve pain, mood, disability and catastrophising, however half of the studies selected did not meet the criteria for acceptable standards for internal validity. Those trials with limited therapist involvement appeared to be less beneficial and tended to report lower adherence than those which had higher levels of therapist guidance or peer support.

CONCLUSIONS

Preliminary findings suggest that teletherapy and remote online cognitive behavioural therapy strategies can be effective in improving quality of life among persons with chronic pain, although the overall quality of evidence is moderate. Controlled trials are needed to assess live remote teletherapy for chronic pain.

Online group pain management for chronic pain: Preliminary results of a novel treatment approach to teletherapy

OBJECTIVE

This pilot study was designed to determine the feasibility, tolerability, safety, and efficacy of group teletherapy for persons with chronic pain. The aim was to present preliminary outcomes of an open trial of group cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) teletherapy compared with an in-person chronic pain patient group.

METHODS

We recruited 47 chronic pain patients to participate in an 8-session, 2-hour-per-week, online, structured, CBT-oriented pain management group using WebEx and compared them with 46 subjects who participated in a parallel, content-matched, in-person, weekly group. Both groups included goal setting, skills training, relaxation exercises, group discussion, and practice assignments. All subjects completed baseline measures, which were repeated post-treatment. Those in the online group participated in weekly telephone interviews and rated the perceived helpfulness of the remote group.

RESULTS

The average age of the online group participants was 54.5 ( ± 14.3) years and 70.2% were female, compared with 59.7 ( ± 13.0) years of age and 57.8% females among the in-person group members. On follow-up, both CBT groups showed modest improvements on the outcome measures. Results of this preliminary investigation comparing online teletherapy with in-person CBT suggest similar benefit. Many participants in the online group rated their experience as very helpful (62.5%; 7-10/10) and most would recommend this programme to others (93.7%; 7-10/10).

DISCUSSION

Preliminary findings suggest that online group CBT may be as effective in improving coping among persons with chronic pain as in-person groups. More rigorous controlled trials are needed to adequately assess the outcome benefit of online teletherapy for chronic pain.