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Pain Coping Skills and Meaning-Centered Intervention

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Advanced Cancer
Pain
Interventions
Behavioral: Pain Coping Skills
Registration Number
NCT03207360
Lead Sponsor
Duke University
Brief Summary

The proposed study seeks to develop and test a novel psychosocial pain management intervention for patients with advanced cancer. It is hypothesized that the intervention will demonstrate feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy. The first aim is to develop a combined pain coping skills training and meaning-centered psychotherapy intervention. The second aim is to test the intervention's feasibility and acceptability as well as preliminary efficacy for improving primary outcomes (i.e., pain, pain interference, and meaning in life) and secondary outcomes. Two efficacious, theory-driven interventions will be integrated to address pain management by teaching pain coping skills with a novel emphasis on enhancing a sense of meaning in life. Participants will be patients with advanced cancer and moderate-to-severe pain. The study will be conducted in two phases. Phase I of the study will be intervention development. The intervention content will be guided by theory and mentoring from a team of leading experts in pain management and meaning-centered psychotherapy. Initial intervention content will be further informed by interviews with patients with advanced cancer. Content will then be refined through an iterative patient testing process. Phase II of the study will be a single-arm pilot trial testing the intervention. The intervention will be delivered in-person and consist of four, 45-to-60 minute therapy sessions delivered using videoconferencing technology. Study measures will be collected at baseline (0 weeks), immediately post-intervention (5 weeks), and 4-weeks post-intervention (9 weeks).

Detailed Description

Effective pain management is a major healthcare concern for patients with advanced cancer. Compared to patients with early-stage disease, those with advanced cancer report higher levels of pain and greater functional impairment related to pain. There is a critical need for psychosocial pain management interventions that are specifically designed to address the suffering of patients with advanced cancer. The proposed study seeks to develop and assess the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a novel integration of pain coping skills training and meaning-centered psychotherapy for patients with advanced cancer and moderate-to-severe pain.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
31
Inclusion Criteria
  • Stage IV solid tumor cancer diagnosis; or stage III pancreatic or lung cancer diagnosis
  • At least moderate pain (pain score >/= 4) at recruitment
  • Clinically elevated distress (NCCN Distress Thermometer >/= 3) at recruitment
  • Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) </= 2 at recruitment
  • Ability to speak and read English
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Exclusion Criteria
  • Brain tumor diagnosis
  • Significant cognitive impairment
  • Serious mental illness that would interfere with engagement in the intervention (e.g., schizophrenia)
Read More

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
SINGLE_GROUP
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Pain Coping SkillsPain Coping Skills-
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Change in pain and pain interference0 weeks, 5 weeks, and 9 weeks (baseline, immediately post-intervention, 4-weeks post-intervention)

Pain and pain interference will be measured using the 11-item Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form (BPI-SF).

Acceptability as measured by engagement3 weeks, 4 weeks, and 5 weeks (sessions 2, 3, and 4)

Acceptability will be indicated by reported practice of the skills and ideas from the intervention in at least 75% of the sessions.

Feasibility as measured by study accrual5 weeks (immediately post-intervention)

Treatment feasibility will be shown by meeting targeted study accrual (N = 30 for single-arm trial) in the 24-month study period.

Acceptability as measured by the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire eight-item version (CSQ)5 weeks (immediately post-intervention)

Acceptability will be indicated by at least 80% of the participants reporting satisfaction with the protocol (mean score of 7) on the CSQ.

Change in meaning in life0 weeks, 5 weeks, and 9 weeks (baseline, immediately post-intervention, 4-weeks post-intervention)

Meaning in life (i.e., purpose, coherence, and significance) and overall spiritual well-being will be measured using the 12-item Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - Spiritual Well-Being scale (FACIT-Sp).

Feasibility as measured by study attrition5 weeks (immediately post-intervention)

Treatment feasibility will be shown by no more than 30% study attrition. Attrition will be defined as not completing the post-intervention assessment.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Change in anxiety0 weeks, 5 weeks, and 9 weeks (baseline, immediately post-intervention, 4-weeks post-intervention)

Anxiety will be measured using the seven-item version of the Generalized Anxiety Disorders scale (GAD-7).

Change in hopelessness0 weeks, 5 weeks, and 9 weeks (baseline, immediately post-intervention, 4-weeks post-intervention)

Hopelessness will be measured using the eight-item Hopelessness Assessment in Illness Questionnaire.

Change in health-related quality of life0 weeks, 5 weeks, and 9 weeks (baseline, immediately post-intervention, 4-weeks post-intervention)

Health-related quality of life will be assessed using the 16-item version of the McGill Quality of Life Questionnaire.

Change in self-efficacy for pain management0 weeks, 5 weeks, and 9 weeks (baseline, immediately post-intervention, 4-weeks post-intervention)

Self-efficacy for pain management will be measured using the five-item self-efficacy for pain management subscale of the Chronic Pain Self-Efficacy Scale.

Change in performance status0 weeks, 5 weeks, and 9 weeks (baseline, immediately post-intervention, 4-weeks post-intervention)

Performance status will be assessed using the one-item self-report version of the Karnofsky Performance Rating Scale.

Change in fatigue0 weeks, 5 weeks, and 9 weeks (baseline, immediately post-intervention, 4-weeks post-intervention)

Fatigue will be assessed using the four-item Fatigue Symptom Inventory (FSI).

Change in depressive symptoms0 weeks, 5 weeks, and 9 weeks (baseline, immediately post-intervention, 4-weeks post-intervention)

Depressive symptoms will be measured using the eight-item version of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8).

Change in meaningfulness in life despite pain0 weeks, 5 weeks, and 9 weeks (baseline, immediately post-intervention, 4-weeks post-intervention)

Meaningfulness in life despite pain will be measured using the five-item Pain Solutions Questionnaire - Meaningfulness in Life Despite Pain subscale.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Duke University Medical Center

🇺🇸

Durham, North Carolina, United States

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