Self-Compassion and Acute Pain

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Acute Pain

• Registration Number: NCT03647683
• Lead Sponsor: Philipps University Marburg Medical Center

Brief Summary

Research on self-compassion suggests its impact in the context of pain. In the current study, the investigators evaluate a short self-compassion intervention for coping with acute pain.

Detailed Description

Self-compassion comprises three components: self-kindness, common humanity and mindfulness. Empirical evidence shows the relevance of self-compassion in the context of negative emotions such as depression, anxiety and anger. Research on chronic pain is promising yet limited. Self-compassion is associated with better pain-coping, pain-acceptance and quality of life, as well as reduced pain-related disability and burdening emotions. Experimental investigations on induced pain are missing. The aim of the current study is to evaluate a short self-compassion intervention for pain.

First, a heat stimulus is induced to all participants which is to be tolerated as long as possible and evaluated in intensity and unpleasantness. Next, participants receive a coping-strategy which they are randomly assigned to. Three different strategies are evaluated: (1) self-compassion, treating oneself with kindness while being mindfully aware of the painful stimulus, (2) acceptance, accepting the painful stimulus as well as pain-related thoughts, not trying to change, (3) distraction, distracting oneself from the painful stimulus and trying not to perceive the pain or painful thoughts. Participants practice the strategy with the painful heat stimulus three times. Then, they receive another heat stimulus which is to be tolerated as long as possible and evaluated. During the next week, participants obtain daily practices via e-mail for further fostering of the learned strategy. Finally, participants receive, tolerate and evaluate pain again in the laboratory.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2018-04-15
• Study First Submitted: 2018-08-01
• Study First Submitted QC: 2018-08-23
• Study First Posted: 2018-08-27
• Primary Completion: 2018-11-30
• Study Completion: 2018-11-30
• Status Verified: 2019-04
• Last Update Submitted: 2019-04-08
• Last Update Posted: 2019-04-10

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 120

Inclusion Criteria

• sufficient german language knowledge
• at least 18 years old

Exclusion Criteria

• acute or chronic pain conditions
• drug or pain-medication (last 24 hours)
• Raynaud's disease
• high blood pressure
• neuropathy, coronary diseases
• diabetes, current alcohol
• studying psychology longer than two years

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Individual heat pain tolerance	Baseline, 45 min, 1 week	Change in the individual heat pain tolerance (the point when participants cannot stand the heat pain stimulus any longer)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Pain intensity	Baseline, 45 min, 1 week	Change in subjective pain intensity assessed using a numeric rating scale (ranging from 0 to 10, with higher values reflecting more pain intensity)
Change in pain unpleasantness scale	Baseline, 45 min, 1 week	Change in subjective pain unpleasentness assessed using a numeric rating scale (ranging from 0 to 10, with higher values reflecting more pain unpleasentness)
Change in self-compassion	Baseline, 45 min, 1 week	Change in overall self-compassion assessed using the self-compassion scale (Neff, 2003) (higher values indicating higher self-compassion

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Philipps-University of Marburg; 🇩🇪 Marburg, Hessen, Germany