Dataset Information

A Novel Couple-Based Intervention for Chronic Pain and Relationship Distress: A Pilot Study.

ABSTRACT: Chronic pain contributes to psychological and relationship distress in individuals with pain as well as their partners. Prior pain interventions have addressed this important social context by engaging partners in treatment; however, partners have not been considered co-participants who can benefit directly from therapy, but rather incorporated as pain management coaches or guides. This manuscript assesses the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary outcomes of a novel intervention which targets both partners and focuses on improving well-being in couples in which one or both partners experiences chronic pain and relationship distress. Fifteen couples participated in Mindful Living and Relating, a 6-session in-person intervention, and completed baseline and post-treatment outcome measures. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to evaluate participants' engagement in and experiences of the intervention, as well as preliminary outcomes. Results suggest that couples were engaged in, and reported satisfaction with, the treatment. Participants who completed the therapy (N = 28; 14 couples) reported reductions in depressive symptoms and improvements in relationship satisfaction and partner responsiveness, and individuals with pain reported reductions in pain interference. In post-treatment interviews, couples reported their preference for couple therapy over individual therapy for pain and relationship distress. Although the conduct of the therapy was feasible for couples who enrolled in the trial, initial recruitment difficulties suggested feasibility challenges. Recommendations are made for researchers who are interested in designing psychological interventions to improve quality of life in the context of chronic illness.

SUBMITTER: Tankha H

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8132556 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Similar Datasets

Project description:IntroductionRecent studies have revealed a high prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress symptoms among university students, highlighting an urgent need for preventative measures at low cost to better support often overwhelmed support services.ObjectiveHere we propose a protocol for assessing the feasibility of a randomised controlled trial (RCT) for an online transdiagnostic psychoeducational intervention called 'A Bite of ACT' compared with a waitlist control.Methods and analysisThis is an RCT with crossover design involving baseline assessments and two follow-up periods. The primary outcome measure will be the Acceptance Checklist for Clinical Effectiveness Pilot Trials (ACCEPT) for measuring the feasibility of the trial design and methods. Secondary outcomes include measures of well-being, social connectedness, quality of life (EuroQol Five Dimensions), depression, anxiety and stress (Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21), as well as the process measures: psychological flexibility (Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-Second Version and the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale) and heart rate variability. Analysis will involve calculating descriptive statistics, examining trial feasibility outcomes through ACCEPT, and determining effect size measures to determine the sample size needed in a future trial (if indicated). Qualitative interviews and preliminary health economics analysis will provide additional insights into the feasibility of the intervention and trial methods.Ethics and disseminationThis study has been approved by the Department of Psychology Research Ethics Committee in the College of Human and Health Sciences at Swansea University. Dissemination will involve publication in international peer-reviewed journals, presentation of findings at relevant local, national and international conferences, and promotion of study outcomes using social media and other channels for disseminating findings to the wider community.Trial registration numberNCT03810131; Pre-results.

Project description:IntroductionType 2 diabetes is prevalent among US adults. Lifestyle interventions that modify health behaviours prevent or delay progression to diabetes among individuals at high risk. Despite the well-documented influence of individuals' social context on their health, evidence-based type 2 diabetes prevention interventions do not systematically incorporate participants' romantic partners. Involving partners of individuals at high risk for type 2 diabetes in primary prevention may improve engagement and outcomes of programmes. The randomised pilot trial protocol described in this manuscript will evaluate a couple-based lifestyle intervention to prevent type 2 diabetes. The objective of the trial is to describe the feasibility of the couple-based intervention and the study protocol to guide planning of a definitive randomised clinical trial (RCT).Methods and analysisWe used community-based participatory research principles to adapt an individual diabetes prevention curriculum for delivery to couples. This parallel two-arm pilot study will include 12 romantic couples in which at least one partner (ie, 'target individual') is at risk for type 2 diabetes. Couples will be randomised to either the 2021 version of the CDC's PreventT2 curriculum designed for delivery to individuals (six couples), or PreventT2 Together, the adapted couple-based curriculum (six couples). Participants and interventionists will be unblinded, but research nurses collecting data will be blinded to treatment allocation. Feasibility of the couple-based intervention and the study protocol will be assessed using both quantitative and qualitative measures.Ethics and disseminationThis study has been approved by the University of Utah IRB (#143079). Findings will be shared with researchers through publications and presentations. We will collaborate with community partners to determine the optimal strategy for communicating findings to community members. Results will inform a subsequent definitive RCT.Trial registration numberNCT05695170.

Project description:BackgroundCardiac surgery is a frequently performed procedure. However, pain after cardiac surgery may become chronic (lasting >3 months) in adults. Once discharged from the hospital, patients are at greater risk of developing chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) and of prolonged opioid use, as they need to self-manage their pain. Psychological risk and protective factors such as pain-related catastrophic thoughts and pain acceptance determine their ability to cope and their use of opioids, which is crucial for self-management of pain. Studies on mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) have multiplied their potential effects on pain acceptance and catastrophic thoughts. However, web-based MBCT for the prevention of CPSP has not yet been examined.ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to pilot test a 4-week-long web-based MBCT intervention for adults following discharge from the hospital by assessing the acceptability or feasibility of the intervention and examining preliminary effects on pain intensity, pain interference with activities and opioid use, and pain acceptance and catastrophic thoughts in the 6 months following surgery.MethodsA double-blinded pilot randomized controlled trial will be used to assess a web-based MBCT intervention. Patients will be selected according to the following criteria: age ≥18 years; first-time elective cardiac surgery via a median sternotomy; worst pain in the past week score ≥4/10; ability to understand and complete questionnaires in English; and ability to use an electronic device such as a smartphone, computer, or tablet. After baseline measures, 32 participants will be randomized into two groups: one receiving both the brief, 4-week-long web-based MBCT intervention and usual care (experimental group) and the other receiving only one standardized, web-based educational session with weekly reminders and usual care (attention control group). Peer-reviewed competitive funding was received from Florida State University's Council on Research & Creativity in January 2021, as well as research ethics approval from Florida State University's institutional review board.ResultsRecruitment began in June 2021. Unfortunately, because of the current COVID-19 pandemic, recruitment is not progressing as expected. Recruitment strategies are constantly monitored and updated according to latest data and restrictions surrounding the pandemic.ConclusionsThis research is significant because it targets the trajectory of CPSP, a leading cause of disability and opioid misuse. This is the first study to assess MBCT for the prevention of CPSP after cardiac surgery in the recovery phase. This approach is innovative because it promotes self-management of pain through the modulation of individual factors. If successful, the intervention could be expanded to numerous populations at risk of chronic pain.International registered report identifier (irrid)DERR1-10.2196/30951.

Dataset Information

A Novel Couple-Based Intervention for Chronic Pain and Relationship Distress: A Pilot Study.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets