A Trial of an Online Chronic Pain Treatment for Military, Police and Veterans

NCT03287661 | Completed DMC

• 1 other identifier: P2016:145
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 29
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Chronic pain is a serious health issue in Canada. Individuals who experience chronic pain often find it difficult to attend in-person treatment sessions for a variety of reasons including pain flare-ups, discomfort when travelling, pain-induced avoidant behaviours, and time constraints. These factors, if not addressed through appropriate treatment, serve as a detriment to the individual's functioning by maintaining the pain cycle and preventing the individual from engaging in previously enjoyed activities. Online treatments have the potential to assist individuals who would otherwise have difficulty attending in-person treatment sessions. This study evaluated the efficacy of an online acceptance-based behavioural treatment for chronic pain designed for military, police, and veteran populations. Participants (n = 29) were randomized into either a treatment condition or wait-list control condition, and asked to complete a battery of measures which underscore the key facets of the fear-avoidance model of chronic pain. A series of 2 x 2 mixed model ANOVA's revealed statistically significant Time x Condition interactions for pain disability, kinesiophobia, and pain acceptance, as well as statistically significant pre- to post-treatment simple main effect contrasts for pain catastrophizing, kinesiophobia, and pain acceptance. For those in the treatment group, no significant changes in scores were found between post-treatment and three-month follow-up; however, the sample size was too small to draw conclusions regarding this finding. Baseline PTSD and depression scores were found to be significant predictors of change in pain acceptance levels over the course of treatment. Overall, the results support the efficacy of the ABBT treatment for chronic pain for military, police and veterans.

Conditions

D059350

Keywords

chronic pain; online treatment; acceptance-based therapy

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• Pain Disability Index

  The Pain Disability Index (PDI) is a 7-item scale which captures the respondent's perceived interference pain plays in their lives in 7 domains: family/home responsibilities recreation, social activity, occupation, sexual behavior, self-care, and life-support activity.

  8 weeks

• Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire

  The Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire (CPAQ), a 20-item scale designed to measure acceptance in individuals dealing with pain.

  8 weeks

• The Pain Catastrophizing Scale

  The Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) is a short 13-item measure which evaluates the pain-related catastrophizing behaviours and cognitions of individuals.

  8 weeks

• The Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia

  The Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK-11) 11-item version is a self-report measure that contains 11 questions designed to assess a client's fear of movement and re-injury.

  8 weeks

Study Arms (2)

Treatment Condition

EXPERIMENTAL

An Online 8-week Acceptance-based Behavioural Therapy for chronic pain.

Behavioral: Acceptance-based Behavioural Therapy

Wait-list Control Condition

NO INTERVENTION

Wait-list Control group (8-weeks)

Interventions

Acceptance-based Behavioural Therapy BEHAVIORAL

The treatment program is an eight module (8-week) ABBT for chronic pain. The online treatment material is administered via the WebCAPSI Therapy program. This online program allows participants to progress through the treatment modules at their own pace. Each module is designed to cover a specific component of ABBT and will facilitate understanding of the components through audio files, veteran, military and RCMP-specific vignettes, text-based material, and homework exercises/assignments. Each module is designed to be completed in 60 minutes or less. On the completion of each module, and facilitated through the WebCAPSI Therapy program, the participants are asked to complete a homework exercise to which they answer questions previously encountered throughout the module. The principle therapist responds to each homework exercise within 24-hours of its online submission.

Treatment Condition

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Eligible participants will be individuals who have reported chronic pain lasting longer than 6 months, and who have been referred for treatment at the OSIC. Participants, male or female, will be either an active RCMP officer, an active member of the Canadian Forces, or a veteran of the Canadian Forces or RCMP. The participants will be required to have access to a computer with internet access for a minimum of 60 minutes per week.

You may not qualify if:

• Any individual who does not meet the requirements listed above is not eligible for this study. Likewise, any individual with seriously impaired concentration, psychosis, suicidality, unstable living situation, or any other similar disorder or condition that would render them unfit for a self-help based treatment will not be considered eligible for this study. Potential participants who neither read nor write in English, as well as those who are unable to provide informed consent will be excluded.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Manitoba: lead

Study Sites (1)

Operational Stress Injury Clinic

Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Chronic Pain

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

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

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator

Model Details: Randomized Controlled Trial

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 16, 2017
• First Posted: September 19, 2017
• Study Start: September 21, 2017
• Primary Completion: September 14, 2018
• Study Completion: September 14, 2018
• Last Updated: September 28, 2018

Record last verified: 2018-09

Locations

CA (1)