RecruitingNot ApplicableNCT06219408

CIH Stepped Care for Co-occurring Chronic Pain and PTSD

A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of CIH Stepped Care for Co-occurring Chronic Pain and PTSD

Sponsor

University of Washington

Enrollment

60 participants

Start Date

Feb 18, 2026

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Conditions

Chronic Pain Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, appropriateness, and retention of patient participants of a CIH Stepped Care approach for co-occurring chronic pain and PTSD vs. treatment as usual in two primary care settings (one rural and one urban). Researchers will compare CIH Stepped Care to treatment as usual. Participants will complete assessments at baseline, 3-months, 6-months, and 9-months, and those in the CIH Stepped Care condition will participate in the intervention while also completed assessments every 2-weeks, which helps determine their treatment. We hypothesize that, at 6-months, CIH Stepped Care will be feasible, acceptable, and appropriate (defined by an average of 4/5 on each measure) to patients and clinic employees and result in at least 70% of individuals be retained in each condition (n=21 per condition).

Eligibility

Min Age: 18 Years

Plain Language Summary

Simplified for easier understanding

This study is testing a stepped-care program using complementary and integrative health (CIH) approaches — such as mindfulness, yoga, or acupuncture — to treat patients who experience both chronic pain and PTSD at the same time, a common and difficult-to-treat combination. **You may be eligible if...** - You are 18 or older and a patient at the recruiting clinic - You have chronic pain (present on more than half the days in the last 3 months) - Your pain is at least moderately severe and interferes with daily life - You have significant PTSD symptoms (score of 31 or higher on the PCL-5) linked to a traumatic event - You are an English speaker **You may NOT be eligible if...** - You are currently receiving treatment for chronic pain or PTSD at that clinic - You have had thoughts of suicide in the past 2 weeks - You have severe cognitive impairment that would prevent participation Talk to your doctor to see if this trial is right for you.

This summary was AI-generated to explain the trial in plain language. It is not medical advice. Always discuss eligibility with your doctor before enrolling in a clinical trial.

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Interventions

BEHAVIORALCIH Stepped Care

CIH Stepped Care is a stepped approach to care delivered by a health coach (e.g., psychologist-in-training or clinical social worker) in-person or remotely (individual person sessions). It is a mindfulness-based and meaning-based stepped care approach for treating co-occurring chronic pain and PTSD that will begin with less intensive treatment (e.g., psychoeducation) and, based on patient response and preference, will be "stepped up" to more intensive treatment when appropriate.