Development of a Couple-based Mindfulness Intervention for Chronic Pain
- Conditions
- Chronic Pain
- Interventions
- Behavioral: Health EducationBehavioral: Mindfulness and Acceptance Therapy
- Registration Number
- NCT02316288
- Lead Sponsor
- Wayne State University
- Brief Summary
Chronic pain is a costly public health problem that is associated with poor quality of life. Previous research has demonstrated extensive evidence showing that pain coping is not manifested by patients in isolation but within the context of significant relationships such as marriage. For instance, a partner may avoid or reject their partners' negative emotions about pain, provide unempathic responses to their partners' pain, or change their thoughts about pain. The patient's pain experience and the couples' relationship also have a cyclical relationship, in which both can affect each other and the overall quality of life for both partners. Currently, current clinical practice does not target both partners to alleviate pain. This is highly problematic given that a number of chronic pain patients-those with interpersonal distress-often do not complete, and thus, do not benefit fully from existing treatments. Even if treatment is completed, individuals may not maintain improvements if they return to distressed social environments that undermine individual coping efforts. Thus, it is clear that new interventions derived from integrative models of individual and dyadic coping are needed to alleviate pain and suffering in patients who are at risk for poor treatment outcomes. This research study aims to develop a novel psychological intervention aimed at couples in which one partner has chronic pain. Our central hypothesis is that a theoretically integrative intervention that improves both partners' psychological flexibility (i.e., acceptance, mindfulness, values-based action) and relational flexibility (i.e., emotional disclosure, empathic responding) skills will be feasible and valid and that it will alleviate pain and improve quality of life. This is a departure from current practice, which focuses solely on the patient's individual functioning, does not address the spouse's psychological inflexibility, and does not address relationship issues.
- Detailed Description
Not available
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- COMPLETED
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 48
- At least one spouse with some pain interference.
- Relationship dissatisfaction.
- Both partners at least 21 years old.
- Couples must also be married or cohabitating for at least 2 years regardless of sexual orientation to participate in the study.
- Current suicidal or homicidal ideation or intent
- Current psychotic symptoms
- Cognitive impairment
- Malignancies (e.g., cancer) in either partner
- Current domestic violence
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- PARALLEL
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Education Health Education Health Education Therapy Mindfulness and Acceptance Therapy Mindfulness and Acceptance Therapy
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Change in Quality of Life Participants will be followed for the duration of the intervention and followup period, an expected average of 10 weeks Satisfaction with Life Scale
Change in Relationship Satisfaction Participants will be followed for the duration of the intervention and followup period, an expected average of 10 weeks Dyadic Adjustment Scale; Dyadic Adjustment Scale-7
Change in Depressive Symptoms from Baseline to 1-month Followup Participants will be followed for the duration of the intervention and followup period, an expected average of 10 weeks Beck Depression Inventory-II
Change in Sleep Quality Participants will be followed for the duration of the intervention and followup period, an expected average of 10 weeks PROMIS Sleep Disturbance and Sleep-related Impairment Scales
Change in Pain Quality Participants will be followed for the duration of the intervention and followup period, an expected average of 10 weeks McGill Pain Questionnaire
Change in Pain Intensity Participants will be followed for the duration of the intervention and followup period, an expected average of 10 weeks Visual Rating Scale, Multidimensional Pain Inventory, Brief Pain Inventory
Change in Perceived Improvement Participants will be followed for the duration of the intervention and followup period, an expected average of 10 weeks Patient Global Impression of Change
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Change in Anxiety and Catastrophizing about Pain Participants will be followed for the duration of the intervention and followup period, an expected average of 10 weeks Pain Anxiety Symptoms Scale, Pain Catastrophizing Scale (baseline, post-treatment, followup); Pain Catastrophizing Scale-Shortened Version (weekly)
Change in Dispositional Empathy Participants will be followed for the duration of the intervention and followup period, an expected average of 10 weeks Interpersonal Reactivity Index
Change in Emotional Expression Participants will be followed for the duration of the intervention and followup period, an expected average of 10 weeks Ambivalence Over Emotional Expression Questionnaire, Holding Back Scale
Change in Emotional Validation and Invalidation Participants will be followed for the duration of the intervention and followup period, an expected average of 10 weeks Coded from Couple Discussion Task
Change in Partner-perceived Empathy Participants will be followed for the duration of the intervention and followup period, an expected average of 10 weeks Perceived Partner Responsiveness Scale
Change in Mindfulness Participants will be followed for the duration of the intervention and followup period, an expected average of 10 weeks Five Facet Mindfulness Scale
Change in Acceptance of Chronic Pain Participants will be followed for the duration of the intervention and followup period, an expected average of 10 weeks Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire (baseline, post-treatment, followup); Chronic Pain Acceptance Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire
Change in Values-Based Action Participants will be followed for the duration of the intervention and followup period, an expected average of 10 weeks Chronic Pain Values Inventory
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
Wayne State University
🇺🇸Detroit, Michigan, United States