Compassion Training and Pain

The purpose of this study is to determine whether compassion training will improve the physical and psychological well-being of patients with chronic pain. The investigators also want to determine whether any benefit of compassion training in the patients "spreads" to significant others with whom the patient has a close relationship.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Chronic Pain
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Compassion Cultivation Training Course

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 56
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • California
    • Palo Alto, California, United States, 94304
      • Stanford University School of Medicine

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Age 18+ and chronic pain for >6months
2. Pain over the last month
3. Ability to read, write, and converse in English
4. If being treated for pain condition, then stable treatment regimen.

For significant others:

1)18 years of age or older 2)Ability to read, write, and converse in English

Exclusion Criteria:

For patients and significant others:

1)Current or history of a psychological disorder that would interfere with study procedures, at the discretion of the researcher.

For patients only:

1. prior compassion meditation experience
2. on going legal action or disability claim
3. currently pregnant or planning to become pregnant

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Compassion cultivation training	Behavioral: Compassion Cultivation Training Course

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Brief Pain Inventory	Intensity - pain severity as measured by a 0 to 10 visual analogue scale. 0 = no pain, 10 = worst pain imaginable	Baseline and end of 9-week treatment protocol
Change in Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire		Baseline and end of 9-week treatment protocol

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Brief Pain Inventory	Interference score - Interference as measured by a 0 to 10 numerical rating scale. 0 = does not interfere, 10 = completely interferes	Baseline to end of 9-week treatment protocol

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Emotional Distress	As assessed by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale	Baseline and end of 9-week treatment protocol
Change in Overall Health and Well-being	As assessed by Ryff's psychological well-being scales	Baseline and end of 9-week treatment protocol
Change in Compassion	As assessed by Neff's Self-Compassion Scale	Baseline and end of 9-week treatment protocol
Qualitative Measures	Qualitative analysis of interviews	Baseline and end of 9-week treatment protocol
Change in Emotional Distress	As Assessed by the PROMIS Anger Scale	Baseline and end of 9-week treatment protocol
Change in Emotional Distress	As assessed by the PROMIS Social Isolation Scale	Baseline and end of 9-week treatment protocol
Change in Overall Health and Well-being	As assessed by PROMIS Global Health Scale	Baseline and end of 9-week treatment protocol
Change in Compassion	As assessed by Compassionate Love Scale adapted for close other	Baseline and end of 9-week treatment protocol
Change in Compassion	As assessed by Pommier's Compassion for Other's Scale	Baseline and end of 9-week treatment protocol

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Stanford University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: January 1, 2013
• Primary Completion (Actual): May 1, 2013
• Study Completion (Actual): May 1, 2013

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 15, 2013
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 23, 2013
• First Posted (Estimate): January 28, 2013

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): December 16, 2013
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 24, 2013
• Last Verified: October 1, 2013

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Chronic Pain
• Other Study ID Numbers: 25883