Optimizing Psychotherapy for Older Veterans With Chronic Pain (OPOVCP)

This study is being performed to compare the effects of two alternate types of psychotherapy, Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy (EAET), for chronic musculoskeletal pain in older adults. In addition, the investigators will evaluate which patients respond better to each treatment and further investigate how each treatment works. CBT, which focuses on improving coping skills for pain, is the standard form of psychotherapy offered at VA. EAET instead focuses on understanding how life stress, relationships, and emotions may cause and perpetuate pain.

The investigators are performing the study because pain is a large problem among Veterans. Studies show that chronic pain affects as many as 50% of male Veterans and 75% of female Veterans. The investigators are focusing on older adult Veterans because they have the highest rates of chronic pain at VA, perhaps as high as 80%. The investigators are looking at psychotherapy in this study because VA, the Department of Defense, and the CDC recently recommended psychosocial treatments, such as psychotherapy, as first treatments for chronic pain, along with medications other than opioids (e.g., oxycodone). However, only one form of psychotherapy, CBT, is currently available in clinical practice at VA, and this study may provide evidence for making EAET available to Veterans as well.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Musculoskeletal Pain
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy; Behavioral: Cognitive Behavior Therapy

Detailed Description

The overarching goal of the proposed research is to learn how to optimize psychotherapy for those Veterans most in need and most likely to benefit from psychotherapy, older Veterans with chronic musculoskeletal pain. Chronic pain is a critical healthcare challenge, as the condition affects 50% of all Veterans and affects older Veterans most commonly, severely, and persistently. For years, chronic pain treatment has been notoriously difficult at VA and elsewhere, especially in light of the recent "opioid crisis," in which opioid analgesics, previously a mainstay of chronic pain treatment, have come under increased scrutiny. In response, CDC, VA/DoD, and some experts have called for enhancing and expanding psychosocial treatment options for chronic pain, such as psychotherapy, which are low risk for older Veterans who frequently have multiple medical comorbidities and are taking multiple medications.

Yet standard VA psychotherapy approaches, such as Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), have shown modest benefits for Veterans on pain and other related outcomes, such as mood, anxiety, and sleep. In contrast, a novel psychotherapy approach, Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy (EAET), has shown medium to large benefits for some chronic pain patients. Whereas CBT improves pain and negative emotion by teaching patients cognitive and behavioral coping skills, affecting brain regions that enhance "cognitive control" of pain, EAET operates primarily through emotion regulation, which is thought to influence brain regions and circuits that modulate both physical pain and emotion-a mechanism absent from existing approaches. The literature and the investigators' pilot data indicate that patients who express emotional distress at baseline, such as high anxiety and depressive symptoms, may be particularly likely to benefit from EAET's emotion regulation approach, whereas patients who express less emotional distress may derive more benefit from an approach like CBT, which does not require ready access to emotions.

The proposed randomized clinical trial tests the hypothesis that EAET is superior to CBT on reduction in mean pain severity and other outcomes derived from IMMPACT. To examine which patients are most likely to benefit, this research also tests whether greater baseline emotional distress (using measures of anxiety and depression) predicts stronger benefits from EAET and whether lower baseline emotional distress predicts stronger benefits from CBT. Finally, this research explores whether the benefits of EAET are mediated by improved emotion regulation, whether the benefits of CBT are mediated by improved cognitive and behavioral coping, and whether the benefits of both are mediated by a stronger working alliance. The investigators plan to enroll 160 multi-ethnic/multi-racial older Veterans (age 60-95 years) with chronic musculoskeletal pain at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center.

This research can introduce an additional, potentially more effective format of psychotherapy at VA so that more Veterans with chronic pain can respond. In addition, this research can lead to better treatment targeting and enhance the understanding of how psychotherapy treatments work. Finally, this research can facilitate the development of critical skills for the PI in psychotherapy research and pain management and enhance his ability to effect positive change for older Veterans.

Recruitment was resumed after the COVID-19 Administrative Hold was lifted in October 2020.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 126
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Brandon C Yarns, MD MS BME; Phone Number: 42764 (310) 478-3711; Email: Brandon.Yarns@va.gov

Study Locations

• United States
  • California
    • West Los Angeles, California, United States, 90073-1003
      • VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, West Los Angeles, CA

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 60 years to 95 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Eligible Veterans are age 60 to 95 years old and have had at least 3 months of musculoskeletal pain, including the following conditions most likely to benefit from psychosocial intervention based on previous research:

• regional pain syndromes (e.g., low back, neck, leg, or pelvic pain, or temporomandibular joint disorders);
• widespread pain syndromes (e.g., fibromyalgia);
• whiplash;
• tension headaches; or
• any combination of these disorders.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Confirmed hip or knee osteoarthritis without other musculoskeletal pain complaints;
• Leg pain greater than back pain only without other musculoskeletal pain complaints (to exclude radiculopathy in isolation);
• EMG-confirmed "tunnel" syndromes (e.g., carpal or tarsal tunnel syndrome) only without other musculoskeletal pain complaints;
• Autoimmune disease that typically generates pain (e.g., systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, ankylosing spondylitis);
• Cancer pain, sickle cell disease, neuralgias (e.g., trigeminal neuralgia), burn pain, infection associated with pain (e.g., vertebral infection), cauda equina syndrome, gout, migraine or cluster headaches without additional musculoskeletal pain complaints;
• Uncontrolled severe psychiatric disorder including current psychotic disorder or severe mood disorder not controlled with medications (e.g., schizophrenia or bipolar I disorder), dissociative identity disorder, or active suicide/violence risk in the past 6 months;
• Substantial cognitive impairment or dementia (Mini-Mental State Exam (78) score 24);
• Active severe alcohol or substance use disorder that inhibits the participant's ability to attend session or participate in homework;
• Currently with pain-related litigation or applying for pain-related compensation or compensation increase, or undergoing compensation re-evaluation (e.g., applying for VA service connection or service connection increase for pain);
• Patients who have undergone CBT for pain within the last 3 months of enrollment or who are currently receiving CBT or EAET psychotherapy treatment for pain;
• Unable to fluently read/converse in English;
• Planning to move from the area in the next 6 months.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy; Seeks to reduce physical (e.g., pain) and emotional (e.g., depression, anxiety) symptoms by helping individuals become aware of their emotions, express them, and resolve emotional conflicts. It will use techniques such as writing about stress, role playing how to handle difficult relationships, recognizing and expressing anger and other feelings, and being more open with others.	Behavioral: Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy; Focus on emotions, writing about stress, assertiveness training, role playing new ways to handle relationships, and sharing feelings and experiences with others.; Other Names: EAET
Active Comparator: Cognitive Behavior Therapy; Seeks to help individuals function better and improve symptoms by teaching various cognitive and behavioral skills to manage symptoms. It will use techniques such as relaxation training, engaging in pleasant activities, pacing yourself, and changing unhelpful ways of thinking.	Behavioral: Cognitive Behavior Therapy; Focus on cognitive and behavioral skills, such as relaxation, increasing pleasant activities, pacing, and changing ways of thinking.; Other Names: CBT

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Pain Severity	Average of 4 self report items: current pain, worst pain over the last 7 days, least pain over the last 7 days, and average pain over the last 7 days. Each item is scored 0-10 (0 = no pain; 10 = pain as bad as can be), yielding a total score between 0 and 10.	Change from baseline to 8 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Satisfaction with Therapy and Therapist Scale-Revised	Satisfaction with therapy subscale is the summation of 6 items, each scored 1-5 (1 = maximum dissatisfaction; 5 = maximum satisfaction), yielding a total score between 6 and 30. Satisfaction with therapist subscale is the summation of 6 items, each scored 1-5 (1 = maximum dissatisfaction; 5 = maximum satisfaction), yielding a total score between 6 and 30. Overall satisfaction is an additional single item scored 1-5 (1 = maximum dissatisfaction; 5 = maximum satisfaction). The two subscales and the overall satisfaction item are each reported separately.	8 weeks
PROMIS-Pain Interference Short Form 8a v1.0	Sum of eight self-report items assessing interference of pain with daily activities over the past 7 days. Items range from 1-5 (1 = no interference; 5 = maximum interference), yielding a total score between 8 and 40.	Change from baseline to 8 weeks
PROMIS-Pain Interference Short Form 8a v1.0	Sum of eight self-report items assessing interference of pain with daily activities over the past 7 days. Items range from 1-5 (1 = no interference; 5 = maximum interference), yielding a total score between 8 and 40.	Change from baseline to 20 weeks
PROMIS-Depression Short Form	Sum of eight self-report items assessing depression and emotional distress over the past 7 days. Items range from 1-5 (1 = never feeling a type of distressing emotion; 5 = always feeling that emotion), yielding a total score between 8 and 40.	Change from baseline to 8 weeks
PROMIS-Depression Short Form	Sum of eight self-report items assessing depression and emotional distress over the past 7 days. Items range from 1-5 (1 = never feeling a type of distressing emotion; 5 = always feeling that emotion), yielding a total score between 8 and 40.	Change from baseline to 20 weeks
PROMIS-Anxiety Short Form	Sum of seven self-report items assessing anxiety over the past 7 days. Items range from 1-5 (1 = never experiencing a type of distressing emotion; 5 = always feeling that emotion), yielding a total score between 7 and 35.	Change from baseline to 8 weeks
PROMIS-Anxiety Short Form	Sum of seven self-report items assessing anxiety over the past 7 days. Items range from 1-5 (1 = never experiencing a type of distressing emotion; 5 = always feeling that emotion), yielding a total score between 7 and 35.	Change from baseline to 20 weeks
NIH Toolbox-Life Satisfaction Short Form	Sum of five self-report items assessing general life satisfaction. Items range from 1-5 (1 = no satisfaction; 5 = maximum satisfaction), yielding a total score between 5 and 25.	Change from baseline to 8 weeks
NIH Toolbox-Life Satisfaction Short Form	Sum of five self-report items assessing general life satisfaction. Items range from 1-5 (1 = no satisfaction; 5 = maximum satisfaction), yielding a total score between 5 and 25.	Change from baseline to 20 weeks
PROMIS-Sleep Disturbance Short Form	Sum of eight self-report items assessing sleep disturbance over the past 7 days. Items range from 1-5 (1 = no sleep disturbance; 5 = maximum sleep disturbance), yielding a total score between 8 and 40.	Change from baseline to 8 weeks
PROMIS-Sleep Disturbance Short Form	Sum of eight self-report items assessing sleep disturbance over the past 7 days. Items range from 1-5 (1 = no sleep disturbance; 5 = maximum sleep disturbance), yielding a total score between 8 and 40.	Change from baseline to 20 weeks
PROMIS-Fatigue Short Form	Sum of seven self-report items assessing fatigue over the past 7 days. Items range from 1-5 (1 = no fatigue; 5 = maximum fatigue), yielding a total score between 7 and 35.	Change from baseline to 8 weeks
PROMIS-Fatigue Short Form	Sum of seven self-report items assessing fatigue over the past 7 days. Items range from 1-5 (1 = no fatigue; 5 = maximum fatigue), yielding a total score between 7 and 35.	Change from baseline to 20 weeks
Pain Severity	Average of 4 self report items: current pain, worst pain over the last 7 days, least pain over the last 7 days, and average pain over the last 7 days. Each item is scored 0-10 (0 = no pain; 10 = pain as bad as can be), yielding a total score between 0 and 10.	Change from baseline to 20 weeks
PTSD Checklist for DSM-5	Sum of twenty self-report items assessing PTSD according to the frequency in which symptoms are experienced over the past month. Items range from 0-4 (0 = not at all; 1 = a little bit; 2 = moderately; 3 = quite a bit; 4 = extremely), yielding a total score between 0 and 80.	Change from baseline to 8 weeks
PTSD Checklist for DSM-5	Sum of twenty self-report items assessing PTSD according to the frequency in which symptoms are experienced over the past month. Items range from 0-4 (0 = not at all; 1 = a little bit; 2 = moderately; 3 = quite a bit; 4 = extremely), yielding a total score between 0 and 80.	Change from baseline to 20 weeks
At Least 30% Improvement in Pain Severity	Mean pain severity is calculated from an average of 4 self report items: current pain, worst pain over the last 7 days, least pain over the last 7 days, and average pain over the last 7 days. Each item is scored 0-10 (0 = no pain; 10 = pain as bad as can be), yielding a total score between 0 and 10. Mean pain severity is calculated at baseline and 8 weeks, and the two scores are compared to see if mean pain severity at 8 weeks is 30% lower than at baseline.	Change from baseline to 8 weeks
At Least 30% Improvement in Pain Severity	Mean pain severity is calculated from an average of 4 self report items: current pain, worst pain over the last 7 days, least pain over the last 7 days, and average pain over the last 7 days. Each item is scored 0-10 (0 = no pain; 10 = pain as bad as can be), yielding a total score between 0 and 10. Mean pain severity is calculated at baseline and 20 weeks, and the two scores are compared to see if mean pain severity at 20 weeks is at least 30% lower than at baseline.	Change from baseline to 20 weeks
At Least 50% Improvement in Pain Severity	Mean pain severity is calculated from an average of 4 self report items: current pain, worst pain over the last 7 days, least pain over the last 7 days, and average pain over the last 7 days. Each item is scored 0-10 (0 = no pain; 10 = pain as bad as can be), yielding a total score between 0 and 10. Mean pain severity is calculated at baseline and 8 weeks, and the two scores are compared to see if mean pain severity at 8 weeks is at least 50% lower than at baseline.	Change from baseline to 8 weeks
At Least 50% Improvement in Pain Severity	Mean pain severity is calculated from an average of 4 self report items: current pain, worst pain over the last 7 days, least pain over the last 7 days, and average pain over the last 7 days. Each item is scored 0-10 (0 = no pain; 10 = pain as bad as can be), yielding a total score between 0 and 10. Mean pain severity is calculated at baseline and 20 weeks, and the two scores are compared to see if mean pain severity at 20 weeks is at least 50% lower than at baseline.	Change from baseline to 20 weeks
At Least 70% Improvement in Pain Severity	Mean pain severity is calculated from an average of 4 self report items: current pain, worst pain over the last 7 days, least pain over the last 7 days, and average pain over the last 7 days. Each item is scored 0-10 (0 = no pain; 10 = pain as bad as can be), yielding a total score between 0 and 10. Mean pain severity is calculated at baseline and 8 weeks, and the two scores are compared to see if mean pain severity at 8 weeks is at least 70% lower than at baseline.	Change from baseline to 8 weeks
At Least 70% Improvement in Pain Severity	Mean pain severity is calculated from an average of 4 self report items: current pain, worst pain over the last 7 days, least pain over the last 7 days, and average pain over the last 7 days. Each item is scored 0-10 (0 = no pain; 10 = pain as bad as can be), yielding a total score between 0 and 10. Mean pain severity is calculated at baseline and 20 weeks, and the two scores are compared to see if mean pain severity at 20 weeks is at least 70% lower than at baseline.	Change from baseline to 20 weeks
Patient's Global Impression of Change Scale	Patient rates on a single item with a scale of 1-7 the change (if any) they've experienced since beginning treatment in the study (1 = no change or condition has worsened; 7 = a great deal better and a considerable improvement that has made all the difference).	Change from baseline to 8 weeks
Patient's Global Impression of Change Scale	Patient rates on a single item with a scale of 1-7 the change (if any) they've experienced since beginning treatment in the study (1 = no change or condition has worsened; 7 = a great deal better and a considerable improvement that has made all the difference).	Change from baseline to 20 weeks

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Ambivalence over Emotional Expression Questionnaire	Sum of fourteen self-report items assessing ambivalence of emotional expression. Items range from 1-5 (1 = no ambivalence; 5 = maximum ambivalence), yielding a total score between 14 and 70.	Change from baseline to 8 weeks
Ambivalence over Emotional Expression Questionnaire	Sum of fourteen self-report items assessing ambivalence of emotional expression. Items range from 1-5 (1 = no ambivalence; 5 = maximum ambivalence), yielding a total score between 14 and 70.	Change from baseline to 20 weeks
Emotional Approach Coping Scales	Sum of eight self-report items assessing whether the subject uses an emotional approach to coping when experiencing stress or difficulties. Items range from 1-4 (1 = I don't use this emotional coping strategy; 4 = I use this emotional coping strategy a lot), yielding a total score between 8 and 32.	Change from baseline to 8 weeks
Emotional Approach Coping Scales	Sum of eight self-report items assessing whether the subject uses an emotional approach to coping when experiencing stress or difficulties. Items range from 1-4 (1 = I don't use this emotional coping strategy; 4 = I use this emotional coping strategy a lot), yielding a total score between 8 and 32.	Change from baseline to 20 weeks
Pain Catastrophizing Scale	Sum of thirteen self-report items assessing the types of thoughts and feelings experienced with pain. Items range from 0-4 (0 = not experiencing a type of thought / feeling; 5 = experiencing that thought / feeling all the time), yielding a total score between 0 and 52. Higher scores indicate the subject experiences thoughts and emotions that typically catastrophizes their pain.	Change from baseline to 8 weeks
Pain Catastrophizing Scale	Sum of thirteen self-report items assessing the types of thoughts and feelings experienced with pain. Items range from 0-4 (0 = not experiencing a type of thought / feeling; 5 = experiencing that thought / feeling all the time), yielding a total score between 0 and 52. Higher scores indicate the subject experiences thoughts and emotions that typically catastrophizes their pain.	Change from baseline to 20 weeks
Survey of Pain Attitudes	Sum of fourteen self-report items assessing the subject's attitude towards their pain. Items range from 0-4 (0 = this attitude is very untrue for me; 4 = this attitude is very true for me), yielding a total score between 0 and 56.	Change from baseline to 8 weeks
Survey of Pain Attitudes Supplement	Three self-report items assessing the subject's attitude towards their pain. Items range from 0-4 (0 = strongly disagree; 4 = strongly agree). Each item is scored individually.	Change from baseline to 8 weeks
Survey of Pain Attitudes	Sum of fourteen self-report items assessing the subject's attitude towards their pain. Items range from 0-4 (0 = this attitude is very untrue for me; 4 = this attitude is very true for me), yielding a total score between 0 and 56.	Change from baseline to 20 weeks
Survey of Pain Attitudes Supplement	Three self-report items assessing the subject's attitude towards their pain. Items range from 0-4 (0 = strongly disagree; 4 = strongly agree). Each item is scored individually.	Change from baseline to 20 weeks
Working Alliance Inventory Short Form C	Sum of twelve self-report items assessing the subject's thoughts and feelings on their therapist. Items range 1-7 (1 = never; 4 = sometimes; 7 = always), yielding a total score between 12 and 84.	8 weeks
Fourteen-item Coping Strategies Questionnaire	Fourteen self-report items assessing the subject's use of coping strategies. Items range 0-6 (0 = never use this strategy; 6 = always use this strategy). Seven subscales with 2 items each yield a total score between 0 and 12.	Change from baseline to 8 weeks
Fourteen-item Coping Strategies Questionnaire	Fourteen self-report items assessing the subject's use of coping strategies. Items range 0-6 (0 = never use this strategy; 6 = always use this strategy). Seven subscales with 2 items each yield a total score between 0 and 12.	Change from baseline to 20 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: VA Office of Research and Development
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Brandon C Yarns, MD MS BME, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, West Los Angeles, CA

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): April 1, 2019
• Primary Completion (Actual): September 14, 2023
• Study Completion (Actual): September 14, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 15, 2019
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 15, 2019
• First Posted (Actual): April 17, 2019

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): November 20, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 16, 2023
• Last Verified: November 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Chronic Pain; Psychotherapy; Musculoskeletal Disease
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Muscular Diseases; Chronic Pain; Musculoskeletal Pain
• Other Study ID Numbers: NURA-013-18F; 1K2CX001884-01A1 (Other Grant/Funding Number: VA CSR&D)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

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