Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT01639196

Brief Online Intervention for Chronic Pain

The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of writing about chronic pain on mental and physical health. The effectiveness of two different types of brief online writing interventions will be explored in individuals with chronic pain.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Chronic Pain Neurologic Manifestations Pain Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

About this study

Chronic pain is highly prevalent and costly, but often not treated effectively. Psychological interventions are needed as part of chronic pain treatment since the pain affects many aspects of an individual's life. In particular, brief psychological interventions that are easily accessible (i.e., online) could benefit many people with chronic pain. Writing interventions have been used in recent years to understand difficult experiences. Writing interventions have been found to help individuals explore distressing thoughts and feelings, such as those that are associated with pain.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Diagnosed with chronic pain or a chronic pain condition or discussed pain management strategies (e.g., pain medication) with a doctor
  • Experience pain on most days of the month for at least six months
  • Able to read and write in English

Exclusion criteria

  • Chronic pain directly caused by a terminal condition (e.g., stage 4 cancer)

Treatment and study plan

Self-compassion writing

Other

Participants are instructed to write about their chronic pain in a way that elicits self-compassion for 20 minutes once a week for three consecutive weeks.

Self-efficacy writing

Other

Participants are instructed to write about their chronic pain in a way that elicits self-efficacy for 20 minutes once a week for three consecutive weeks.

Primary outcomes

  1. Change from Baseline in Self-Compassion Scale

    Time frame: Change from Baseline in Self-Compassion Scale at 4 weeks

  2. Change from Baseline in Pain Self-Efficacy Scale

    Time frame: Change from Baseline in Pain Self-Efficacy Scale at 4 weeks

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change from Baseline in Pain Severity

    Time frame: Change from Baseline in Pain Severity at 4 weeks

    Pain severity is measured on a 10-point rating scale.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Maryland, College Park

Other

Registry information

Official study title

The Expressive Writing Paradigm: A Study of Therapeutic Effectiveness for Chronic Pain

Important dates

Study start
2012
Primary completion
2013
Study completion
2013
First posted
Jul 12, 2012
Registry last updated
May 30, 2023

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.