A Group Therapy Based on the Bio-psycho-social Treatment Approach for Women With Chronic Pelvic and Chronic Belly Pain

Managing the Pain - a Group Therapy Based on the Bio-psycho-social Treatment Approach for Women With Chronic Pelvic Pain and Chronic Belly Pain

The project investigates the situation of patients with chronic pelvic and chronic belly pain before and after our group therapy.

Study Overview

• Status: Terminated
• Conditions: Depression; Endometriosis; Pain, Chronic; Pain, Abdominal; Pain, Pelvic; Sex Disorder
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Learning of Coping Strategies

Detailed Description

To treat patients with chronic pelvic and belly pain in an interdisciplinary way, we developped a group therapy consisting of twelve sessions and a booster session. The therapy is based on the bio-psycho-social model of pain and includes group sessions of psychotherapy as well as physiotherapy.

All patients fill in questionnaires (concerning pain impact, pain chronicity, depression, anxiety, stress, well-being and sexuality) before and after the therapy as well as three and twelve months after.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 8

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Switzerland
  • Canton of Lucerne
    • Nottwil, Canton of Lucerne, Switzerland, 6207
      • Center of Pain Medicine

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

Women with chronic pelvic or belly pain, participating in our multimodal group therapy

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Women with chronic pelvic pain or belly pain participating in our group therapy who give their consent to the analysis of their data for the study

Exclusion Criteria:

• No participation in the group therapy
• Finishing the group therapy prematurely (>3 missed sessions)

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
Multidisciplinary Group Therapy; Multidisciplinary group therapy for women with chronic pelvic or belly pain	Behavioral: Learning of Coping Strategies; Group sessions with psychotherapy and physiotherapy

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Pelvic Pain Impact Questionnaire (PPIQ)	Self reported questionnaire with 8 questions to assess the impact of pelvic pain on quality of life, daily activities and emotional life. Each questions is scored 0-4, yielding a total from 0 and 32.	baseline, 6 weeks, 3 months, 12 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Sexual Functioning Questionnaire (CSFQ-14)	Self-reported questionnaire with 14 questions assessing comorbidity- or medication-related sexual dysfunction. Each questions is scored using a 5-point Likert scale. Total scores range from 14 to 70, with lower scores indicating greater levels of sexual dysfunction.	baseline, 6 weeks, 3 months, 12 months
Change in Female Sexual Distress Scale-Revised (FSDS-R)	Self-reported questionnaire assessing distress associated with sexual dysfunction. Each questions is scored using a 5-point Likert scale (0=never to 4=always). Total scores range from 0 to 52, with higher scores indicating greater levels of sexually related distress.	baseline, 6 weeks, 3 months, 12 months
Change in Chronic Pain Grade Scale (CPGS)	Self-reported questionnaire with 3 questions assessing the presence of chronic pain at the site of injury. Each questions is scored using a 11-point Likert scale. Total scores range from 0 to 30, with higher scores indicating more pain.	baseline, 6 weeks, 3 months, 12 months
Change in Depression	Subscale of Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS) questionnaire. Self-reported questionnaire with 14 questions assessing depression. Each questions is scored using a 4-point Likert scale (0=does not apply at all to 3=apply very much). Total sub-scores range from 0 to 42.	baseline, 6 weeks, 3 months, 12 months
Change in Anxiety	Subscale of Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS) questionnaire. Self-reported questionnaire with 14 questions assessing anxiety. Each questions is scored using a 4-point Likert scale (0=does not apply at all to 3=apply very much). Total sub-scores range from 0 to 42.	baseline, 6 weeks, 3 months, 12 months
Change in Stress	Subscale of Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS) questionnaire. Self-reported questionnaire with 14 questions assessing stress. Each questions is scored using a 4-point Likert scale (0=does not apply at all to 3=apply very much). Total sub-scores range from 0 to 42.	baseline, 6 weeks, 3 months, 12 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Swiss Paraplegic Research, Nottwil

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): September 1, 2020
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 4, 2024
• Study Completion (Actual): December 4, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 12, 2019
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 14, 2019
• First Posted (Actual): August 15, 2019

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 5, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 3, 2026
• Last Verified: February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Physiotherapy; Coping; Psychotherapy; Group Therapy; Multidisciplinary
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Urogenital Diseases; Genital Diseases; Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Female Urogenital Diseases; Female Urogenital Diseases and Pregnancy Complications; Signs and Symptoms, Digestive; Behavioral Symptoms; Genital Diseases, Female; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Behavior; Signs and Symptoms; Abdominal Pain; Chronic Pain; Depression; Endometriosis; Pelvic Pain; Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2018-28

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