Internet-Delivered Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (iACT) for Youth With PTSD and Chronic Pain

NCT07813728 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: SkaneU2026
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 10
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The primary aim of this study is to investigate the effect of Internet-delivered Acceptance and commitment therapy for youth with PTSD and comorbid chronic pain. A pilot study (no randomization; N=5-10) will be conducted to test the intervention and assessment procedures. The participants will go through an active internet-based ACT treatment focused on education about PTSD, value-based exposure for the traumatic memory and avoided situations, and behavior change through exercises targeting the processes mindfulness, cognitive defusion and acceptance. The treatment is delivered on a safe internet platform. Participants have planned telephone contact with their assigned psychologist 3 times during the program and can also contact their psychologist via a message system in the platform and expect answer within 48 hours.

Conditions

Chronic Pain; PTSD

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• PTSD symptom severity as measured by the the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5)

  The scale ranges from 0-80 and higher sores indicate greater severity of PTSD symptoms.

  Baseline, two-week-post treatment, 3 month-follow-up.

• Psychological inflexibility

  As measured by the Psychological Inflexibility in Pain Scale (PIPS) (changes between assessments) Min=0; Max= 52. Higher scores indicate worse inflexibility

  Baseline, two-week-post treatment, 3 month-follow- up

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Anxiety and depression

  Baseline, two-week-post treatment, 3 month-follow up

• Pain intensity

  Baseline, two-week-post treatment, 3 month-follow- up

• General acceptance

  Baseline, two-week-post treatment, 3 month-follow-up

Other Outcomes (1)

• Parental psychological flexibility

  Baseline, two-week-post treatment, 3 month-follow-up

Study Arms (1)

iACT

EXPERIMENTAL

Behavioral: iACT

Interventions

iACT BEHAVIORAL

The participants will go through an active internet-based ACT treatment focused on education about PTSD, value-based exposure for the traumatic memory and avoided situations, and behavior change through exercises targeting the processes mindfulness, cognitive defusion and acceptance. The treatment is delivered on a safe internet platform. Participants have planned telephone contact with their assigned psychologist 3 times during the program and can also contact their psychologist via a message system in the platform and expect answer within 48 hours.

iACT

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 15 Years - 24 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• a CAPS of ≥25 and a diagnosis of PTSD
• subjected to single traumatic events
• aged 15-24 years
• had symptoms of chronic pain that interfered significantly with everyday life
• were fully examined medically and had received medical treatment if indicated
• were able to be an active part of the rehabilitation process, regain functioning in different life areas and participate in treatment interventions for approximately 5 hours every week
• stable dose of medication
• able to read and write in Swedish
• had access to a smart phone or computer with internet access

You may not qualify if:

• repeated and extensive traumatic events
• had other acute or severe psychiatric disorders or symptoms that warranted designation as the primary disorder (ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, untreated bipolar disorder, OCD, psychotic symptoms, severe depression, )
• were actively abusing analgesic medications (including narcotics), alcohol or other drugs
• had great difficulty to harbour and handle strong emotions that could lead to self-harming behavior
• had health risks due to medical reasons
• had social or economic difficulties or lack of social support that hindered behavior change
• current severe suicidal ideation that warranted immediate intervention

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Skane University Hospital: lead

Study Sites (1)

Department of pain rehabilitation

Lund, Sweden

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Chronic Pain; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Stress Disorders, Traumatic; Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders; Mental Disorders

Study Officials

• Sophia Åkerblom, phd

  Skane University Hospital

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Sophia Åkerblom, Associate professor

CONTACT

0046707790415; sophia.akerblom@skane.se

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Masking Details: Masking Description
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate professor

Model Details: Model Description

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 4, 2026
• First Posted: September 10, 2026
• Study Start: September 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): March 31, 2028
• Last Updated: September 10, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

SE (1)