Effects of a Single Session Group Intervention for Pain Management in Chronic Pain Patients: A Pilot Study

INTRODUCTION Behavioral and psychological interventions are key components of treating chronic pain. However, there are logistical barriers to providing such treatments, including a lack of psychological staff to provide such interventions and limited ability of patients with chronic pain to attend multiple sessions. As other areas of mental health have shown promise in providing single session interventions for various conditions, this pilot study hypothesized that a single group session for chronic pain patients could be helpful in decreasing patient pain catastrophizing. The five content areas addressed in the group were termed understanding, accepting, calming, balancing, and coping. METHODS A pilot study was undertaken. Chronic pain patients were given a pre-group assessment, including the Pain Catastrophizing Scale with a follow-up assessment administered 3 months later. RESULTS Fifty-three patients were studied. Results showed a significant decrease in overall pain catastrophizing scores at follow-up. A clear majority of patients also reported that the group was helpful and should be offered to other pain patients. CONCLUSION This study suggests that a single session group can be a helpful intervention for patients with chronic pain.