RecruitingNot ApplicableNCT07067619

Pain Acceptance Training in Patients Experiencing Emotional Distress and Somatic Symptoms: Examination of Dialectical Thinking as a Mediating Factor

Sponsor

University of Haifa

Enrollment

100 participants

Start Date

Dec 1, 2024

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Conditions

Chronic Pain Somatic Pain Comorbid Pain and Emotional Difficulties

Summary

Somatic symptoms, including physical pain, are highly prevalent among mental health patients. Current treatments have limited effectiveness for these symptoms, primarily because of patients' diminished introspective capacity and lack of emotional awareness. The current study proposes pain acceptance training as a new intervention. This intervention relies on the tenets of dialectical thinking, particularly on maintaining a dialectic perspective - at once acknowledging both the desire to end the pain and the ability to accept it as it is. We aim to examine the following: (1) the efficacy of pain acceptance training in the alleviation of somatic pain in patients with somatic symptoms; (2) the role of dialectical thinking as a mediator of pain acceptance training efficacy.

Eligibility

Min Age: 18 YearsMax Age: 70 Years

Inclusion Criteria5

Men and Women
Aged 18-70
Able to provide a signed informed consent
Experiencing significant pain symptoms that interfere with daily-life functioning
Experiencing significant emotional distress symptoms

Exclusion Criteria11

Patients under the age of 18 and/or diagnosed with one or more of the following diagnoses will be excluded from participation in the study:
Patients rating their average pain in the last week and in the last month as less than 3 in a 0-10 numerical rating scale (i.e. NPS)
Patients rating their emotional distress levels as less than 25 in a 10-50 numerical rating scale (i.e. Kessler Psychological Distress Scale \[K10\])
Patients diagnosed with psychotic disorders and/or suffering from psychotic symptoms.
Patients diagnosed with Autism Spectrum disorder.
Patients diagnosed with Intellectual disability.
Patients diagnosed with eating disorders.
Patients with Immediate suicidal risk.
Patients who initiated a new drug and/or psychotherapy treatment within the last month.
Pregnant women.
Patients currently serving in the IDF.

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Interventions

BEHAVIORALPain-acceptance intervention

The intervention start with a conversation and inquiry about the participant's pain while continuously validating his experience and creating a shared understanding of their struggles and difficulties due to the pain. Next, the experimenter explain the relations between distress, pain and suffering, emphasizing that in many cases trying to control our pain, emotions and thoughts leads us to undesirable results through emotional avoidance, anger and escape. This explanation will be accompanied with commonly used metaphors to enhance participants' understanding. Afterwards, participants are familiarized with the strategy of "emotional acceptance of pain". The strategy will be comprehensively explained and participants will practice it with the experimenter twice: Firstly, by practicing with the mental exercise of "STOP" (i.e. Stop, Take a step back, Observe, Procced Mindfully); Secondly by practicing the pain acceptance strategy while feeling moderate pain, and discuss their experience.