Empowered Relief for Youth (ER-Y)

July 8, 2026 updated by: Laura E Simons, Stanford University

Empowered Relief for Youth: A Feasibility Study of a Pain Management Class for Youth With Pain

The purpose of this pilot study is to examine the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of Empowered Relief for Youth with chronic pain (ER-Y). ER-Y is a single-session pain management class for youth focused on pain science education and teaching self-regulatory skills for pain management based on the evidence-based adult ER class. Feasibility and acceptability of ER-Y will be assessed post-class. Preliminary efficacy will be assessed by administering surveys at baseline, 4-weeks, 8-weeks, and 12-weeks post class.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

The current proposed, single-arm, uncontrolled pilot study will determine a) feasibility of ER-Y in youth with chronic pain, b) patients' perceptions and satisfaction of the ER-Y class and c) preliminary efficacy to inform the design of a subsequent randomized controlled trial.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
110

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • California
      • Palo Alto, California, United States, 94304
        • Stanford University

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age at least 10 years old to 18 years
  • Diagnosis of Chronic Pain
  • English speaking

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Significant psychosocial complexity (e.g., severe depression/ anxiety, unable to tolerate a group setting)
  • non-English Speaking

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Empowered Relief for Youth
Empowered Relief for Youth is a single-session pain management class focused on pain science education and teaching self-regulatory skills for pain management based on the evidence-based adult ER class.
Behavioral: Empowered Relief for Youth
The Empowered Relief for Youth is a 90-minute class that provides pain science education, as well as cognitive, emotional, and physiologic self-regulation skills for youth with chronic pain. Youth will also develop a personalized plan to use the acquired skills daily. Participants will receive an audio file (Relaxation Response) post-class. The class provides patients rapid access to actionable skills for symptom management and pain relief.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Treatment Expectancy Credibility (TEC-C) - Acceptability
Time Frame: Immediately post class
The TEC-C assess treatment expectations and credibility with standardized sum scores from using a numeric rating scale (score 0 = "not at all" to 10 = "very much") with a higher score indicating high expectations.
Immediately post class
Program Feedback Scale - Acceptability
Time Frame: Immediately post class
The Program Feedback Scale assesses participants agreement to seven statements indicating their perceived acceptability and feasibility based on a scale (score 0 = "really disagree" to 4 = "really agree") with a higher score indicating positive feedback and two open ended questions.
Immediately post class
Enrollment - Feasibility
Time Frame: prior to class
Percentage of enrollment following referral
prior to class
Attendance - Feasibility
Time Frame: immediately post class
Percentage who attended class after consent
immediately post class
Retention - Feasibility
Time Frame: 1, 2, 3 month follow-up
Percentage who completed follow-up assessments
1, 2, 3 month follow-up

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
PROMIS Pain Interference
Time Frame: Pre class, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks post class
The PROMIS Pain Interference form assesses to what level pain hinders their engagement in several activities using a ranked scale (score 0 = "never" to 4 = "almost always") with a higher score indicating great pain interference.
Pre class, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks post class
Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC)
Time Frame: 4 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks post class
The Pain Global Impression of Change survey asks participants to rank how their overall pain has changed since the start of study using a ranked scale (score 0 = "very much improved" to 6 = "very much worse") with higher scores indicating greater severity to their pain.
4 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks post class
Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS)
Time Frame: Pre class, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks post class
The Pain Catastrophizing Scale -Child Version (PCS-C, Crombez et al., 2003) assesses negative cognitions associated with pain. The PCS-C is comprised of 13-items rated on a 5-point Likert scale (score 0= "not at all true" to 4 "very true"). A total score (0-52) is obtained by summing all items. Higher scores indicate higher levels of catastrophic thinking.
Pre class, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks post class

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Child Pain Self-Efficacy Scale (PSES-C)
Time Frame: Pre class, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks post class
The Child Pain Self- Efficacy Scale assesses the participants self-efficacy with regard to normal functioning when in pain based on a ranked scale (score 1 = "very sure" to 5 = "very unsure") with higher scores indicating enhanced uncertainty.
Pre class, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks post class
PROMIS Anxiety
Time Frame: Pre class, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks post class
The PROMIS anxiety study assesses fear, fear, misery, hyperarousal, and somatic symptoms related to arousal within the past seven days. Each item is scored on a 1-5 rating scale (score 1 = "never" to 5 = "almost always") with higher scores indicating greater experience to anxiety.
Pre class, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks post class

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Stanford University

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Laura Simons, PhD, Stanford University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
August 9, 2023

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 20, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
April 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
August 9, 2023

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 9, 2023

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
August 21, 2023

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
July 13, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 8, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 68451

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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