Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Chronic Non-Malignant Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Přehled studie
Postavení
Postavení
Podmínky
Podmínky
Intervence / Léčba
Intervence / Léčba
Detailní popis
Chronic non-malignant pain (CNMP) is associated with significant psychological distress, functional impairment, and reduced quality of life, and pharmacological treatment alone often provides limited relief. This study uses a three-arm, single-blind randomized controlled trial with a pretest-posttest parallel-group design to compare Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) against Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT, active comparator) and Treatment as Usual (TAU, control).
Sixty adults (aged 18-60) with a physician-confirmed diagnosis of chronic non-malignant musculoskeletal or widespread pain (duration ≥3 months) were enrolled using purposive sampling and randomly allocated to ACT, CBT, or TAU (n=20 per group) using manual simple randomization (fishbowl method). Eligible participants scored ≥4 on the Numerical Rating Scale (pain intensity), ≥4 on the Brief Pain Inventory interference subscale, and ≥20 on the Pain Catastrophizing Scale, and were willing/able to attend all sessions. Individuals with severe psychiatric disorders, severe cognitive/neurological impairment, concurrent structured psychological treatment for pain, or unstable medical conditions were excluded.
The ACT intervention, delivered over 10 weekly sessions using a manual-based protocol adapted for chronic pain, targets the six core processes of the psychological flexibility model: acceptance, cognitive defusion, present-moment awareness, self-as-context, values clarification, and committed action. The CBT intervention, also delivered over 10 weekly sessions, targets maladaptive pain-related cognitions and behaviors through cognitive restructuring, behavioral activation, activity pacing, relaxation training, problem-solving, and coping skills. The TAU group continues routine medical/pharmacological care without structured psychological intervention.
Outcome assessors are blinded to group allocation; participants and therapists could not be blinded given the nature of the interventions. Outcomes are assessed at baseline and post-intervention using the Numerical Rating Scale (pain intensity), Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire (pain acceptance), Brief Pain Inventory (pain interference), Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (psychological flexibility), Pain Catastrophizing Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and WHOQOL-BREF (quality of life). Data collection is complete for the majority of participants; a small number of participants are currently in their final follow-up sessions before post-intervention assessment.
The study aims to (1) evaluate within-group change in ACT and CBT from pretest to posttest across all outcomes; (2) compare ACT versus CBT on post-intervention outcomes, with primary focus on pain acceptance, psychological flexibility, and pain interference; (3) examine whether change in psychological flexibility predicts change in pain interference and catastrophizing across both treatment groups; (4) compare ACT and CBT on anxiety, depression, and quality of life; and (5) compare ACT and CBT against TAU on all outcome measures. Findings are expected to clarify the comparative efficacy and mechanism of action of ACT relative to an established active treatment, contributing evidence for non-pharmacological, mechanism-informed pain management, particularly within an under-studied Pakistani population.
Typ studie
Typ studie
Zápis (Aktuální)
Zápis
Fáze
Fáze
- Nelze použít
Kontakty a umístění
Studijní místa
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Punjab Province
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Guiranwala, Punjab Province, Pákistán, 52250
- DHQ Hospital, Gujranwala (Orthopedic Department)
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Kritéria účasti
Kritéria způsobilosti
Kritéria způsobilosti
Věk způsobilý ke studiu
- Dospělý
Přijímá zdravé dobrovolníky
Popis
Inclusion Criteria:
Chronic non-malignant musculoskeletal pain or chronic widespread pain persisting for at least three months, without evidence of malignant pathology Aged between 18 and 60 years Current pain severity of ≥4 on the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) Pain-related functional interference of ≥4 on the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) interference subscale Pain catastrophizing score of ≥20 on the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) Availability and willingness to attend all intervention sessions (10 weekly sessions for either ACT or CBT) Diagnosis medically confirmed by a qualified physician (e.g., orthopedic consultant or pain specialist) prior to inclusion
Exclusion Criteria:
Presence of severe psychiatric disorders, including but not limited to psychotic disorders, schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder Severe cognitive impairment or neurological disorders that may interfere with understanding or completing study assessments Concurrent participation in other structured psychological interventions for chronic pain (e.g., CBT, ACT) Uncontrolled or unstable medical conditions that may compromise safe participation in the study
Studijní plán
Jak je studie koncipována?
Detaily designu
- Primární účel: Léčba
- Přidělení: Randomizované
- Intervenční model: Paralelní přiřazení
- Maskování: Singl
Počet zbraní
Zbraně a zásahy
Skupina účastníků / ArmSkupina účastníků / Arm |
Intervence / LéčbaIntervence / Léčba |
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Experimentální: ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy)
Participants in this arm receive Acceptance and Commitment Therapy delivered over 10 weekly sessions using a manual-based protocol adapted for chronic pain.
The intervention targets six core processes: acceptance, cognitive defusion, present-moment awareness, self-as-context, values clarification, and committed action.
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A 10-session, manual-based psychological intervention targeting psychological flexibility through acceptance, cognitive defusion, present-moment awareness, self-as-context, values clarification, and committed action, delivered weekly by a trained therapist.
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Aktivní komparátor: CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)
Participants in this arm receive Cognitive Behavioral Therapy delivered over 10 weekly sessions, targeting maladaptive pain-related cognitions and behaviors through cognitive restructuring, behavioral activation, activity pacing, relaxation training, problem-solving, and coping skills.
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A 10-session, manual-based psychological intervention targeting maladaptive pain-related cognitions and behaviors through cognitive restructuring, behavioral activation, activity pacing, relaxation training, problem-solving, and coping skills, delivered weekly by a trained therapist.
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Žádný zásah: TAU (Treatment as Usual)
Participants in this arm continue their routine medical/pharmacological care for chronic pain without receiving any structured psychological intervention as part of the study.
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Co je měření studie?
Primární výstupní opatření
Primární výstupní opatření
Měření výsledku |
Popis opatření |
Časové okno |
|---|---|---|
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Change in Pain Acceptance
Časové okno: Baseline and post-intervention (Week 10)
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Pain acceptance will be assessed using the Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire (CPAQ), a 20-item self-report measure rated on a 7-point Likert scale (0 = "never true" to 6 = "always true"), with higher scores indicating greater acceptance.
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Baseline and post-intervention (Week 10)
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Change in Psychological Flexibility
Časové okno: Baseline and post-intervention (Week 10)
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Psychological flexibility will be assessed using the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II), a 7-item self-report measure rated on a 7-point Likert scale (1 = "never true" to 7 = "always true"), with higher scores indicating greater flexibility.
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Baseline and post-intervention (Week 10)
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Change in Pain Interference
Časové okno: Baseline and post-intervention (Week 10)
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Pain interference will be assessed using the Pain Interference subscale of the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), rated on a 0-10 scale, with higher scores indicating greater interference with daily functioning, mood, and social activities.
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Baseline and post-intervention (Week 10)
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Sekundární výstupní opatření
Sekundární výstupní opatření
Měření výsledku |
Popis opatření |
Časové okno |
|---|---|---|
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Change in Pain Intensity
Časové okno: Baseline and post-intervention (Week 10)
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Pain intensity will be assessed using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), a single-item measure ranging from 0 ("no pain") to 10 ("worst imaginable pain").
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Baseline and post-intervention (Week 10)
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Change in Pain Catastrophizing
Časové okno: Baseline and post-intervention (Week 10)
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Pain catastrophizing will be assessed using the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), a 13-item measure rated on a 5-point scale, with higher scores indicating greater catastrophizing.
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Baseline and post-intervention (Week 10)
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Change in Anxiety Symptoms
Časové okno: Baseline and post-intervention (Week 10)
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Anxiety will be assessed using the anxiety subscale of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-A), a 7-item measure rated on a 0-3 scale.
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Baseline and post-intervention (Week 10)
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Change in Depression Symptoms
Časové okno: Baseline and post-intervention (Week 10)
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Depression will be assessed using the depression subscale of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-D), a 7-item measure rated on a 0-3 scale.
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Baseline and post-intervention (Week 10)
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Change in Quality of Life
Časové okno: Baseline and post-intervention (Week 10)
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Quality of life will be assessed using the WHOQOL-BREF, a self-report measure assessing physical, psychological, social, and environmental domains of quality of life.
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Baseline and post-intervention (Week 10)
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Spolupracovníci a vyšetřovatelé
Sponzor
Sponzor
Vyšetřovatelé
Vyšetřovatelé
- Ředitel studie: Ather Mujitaba, Phd, GIFT University
Termíny studijních záznamů
Hlavní termíny studia
Začátek studia (Aktuální)
Začátek studia
Primární dokončení (Odhadovaný)
Primární dokončení
Dokončení studie (Odhadovaný)
Dokončení studie
Termíny zápisu do studia
První předloženo
První předloženo
První předloženo, které splnilo kritéria kontroly kvality
První předloženo, které splnilo kritéria kontroly kvality
První zveřejněno (Aktuální)
První zveřejněno
Aktualizace studijních záznamů
Poslední zveřejněná aktualizace (Aktuální)
Poslední zveřejněná aktualizace
Odeslaná poslední aktualizace, která splnila kritéria kontroly kvality
Odeslaná poslední aktualizace, která splnila kritéria kontroly kvality
Naposledy ověřeno
Naposledy ověřeno
Více informací
Termíny související s touto studií
Klíčová slova
Další relevantní podmínky MeSH
Další identifikační čísla studie
Další identifikační čísla studie
- GIFT/PSY/MS/2025/002
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Popis plánu IPD
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Studuje produkt zařízení regulovaný americkým úřadem FDA
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