Group Music Therapy for Chronic Pain Management in Active Duty Service Members: A Randomized Controlled Trial

NCT07755540 | Recruiting Phase 2

• 1 other identifier: HU00012420072
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 130
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This randomized controlled trial will evaluate the effectiveness of an 8-week group music therapy intervention for active duty service members with chronic pain. Participants will be randomized to either a group music therapy intervention plus standard care or standard care alone. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline, post- treatment (8 weeks), and 1-month follow-up. Primary outcomes include pain interference and pain intensity. Secondary outcomes include pain-related self-efficacy, depression, anxiety, positive affect, sleep disturbance, patient perception of change, and pain medication use. Qualitative interviews will be conducted with a subset of participants who receive music therapy to explore subjective experiences and perceived treatment benefits.

Conditions

Chronic Pain

Keywords

Chronic Pain; Music Therapy

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Pain Intensity

  As measured by Defense and Veterans Pain Rating Scale (DVPRS)

  Baseline, Week 8, and 1-Month Follow-Up as well as pre and post- session

• Pain Interference

  As measured by PROMIS Pain Interference 8-item Scale

  Baseline, Week 8, and 1-Month Follow-Up

Secondary Outcomes (8)

• Pain-related self-efficacy

  Baseline, Week 8, 1-Month Follow-Up

• Depression

  Baseline, Week 8, 1-Month Follow-Up

• Anxiety

  Baseline, Week 8, 1-Month Follow-Up

• Positive Well-Being

  Baseline, Week 8, 1-Month Follow-Up

• Sleep Disturbance

  Baseline, Week 8, 1-Month Follow-Up

Other Outcomes (1)

• Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms (Moderator)

  Baseline

Study Arms (2)

Group Music Therapy + Standard Care

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will receive eight weekly 75-minute group music therapy sessions in addition to standard pain management care. Sessions include music-guided breathing, relaxation exercises, group improvisation, music listening, discussion, and music-based pain self-management training.

Behavioral: Music intervention

Standard Care

NO INTERVENTION

Participants will receive standard pain management services available at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. These may include medication management, physical therapy, acupuncture, cognitive behavioral therapy, and interventional pain procedures.

Interventions

Music intervention BEHAVIORAL

An 8-week standardized music therapy protocol delivered in weekly 75-minute group sessions. The intervention is guided by a biopsychosocial framework and includes music-guided breathing, relaxation exercises, group improvisation, processing of music experiences, meaningful music listening, and home practice of music-based pain management skills.

Also known as: Group Music Therapy

Group Music Therapy + Standard Care

Eligibility Criteria

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

You may qualify if:

• Active duty service member
• Age 18 -64 years of age
• Diagnosis of chronic benign pain for at least 3 months
• Average pain severity greater than 4/10 on the Defense and Veterans Pain Rating Scale
• Able to read and understand English

You may not qualify if:

• Pregnancy
• Mental health conditions that would prevent compliance with or productive participation in group sessions
• Cognitive impairment preventing completion of study measures
• Malignant disease
• Progressive neurological disorder
• Moderate to profound hearing impairment not corrected with hearing aids
• Previous participation in music therapy services at JBER

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine: lead
• Drexel University: collaborator
• Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER)

Anchorage, Alaska, 99505, United States

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Chronic Pain

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

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

Study Officials

• Joke Bradt, PhD

  Drexel University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Paul Pasquina, MD

  Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Joke Bradt, PhD

CONTACT

2673595508; jbradt@drexel.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: phase 2
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Masking Details: Statistician will be masked
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 5, 2026
• First Posted: August 10, 2026
• Study Start: March 17, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): July 1, 2028
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2028
• Last Updated: August 10, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-08

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)