Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy for People With Persistent Pain Following Orthopedic Trauma: A Pilot Feasibility Study
Johns Hopkins University
Summary
The purpose of this single-arm trial is to determine the feasibility of emotional awareness and expression therapy (EAET) for individuals with persistent pain following orthopedic trauma. As part of this study, participants will be asked to attend weekly EAET treatment sessions and complete assessments (including pre-treatment, post-treatment, and follow-up) consisting of questionnaires and sensory testing procedures.
Description
Orthopedic trauma, resulting in severe injuries such as multiple fractures or amputation, occurs in approximately 3 million people annually in the United States; about half of these people experience persistent pain and psychological distress (depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder \[PTSD\] symptoms) 6 to 12 months post injury. Pain and distress exacerbate one another, are likely to persist, and relate to disability: half of patients report substantial disability 7 years post trauma. Medical interventions such as surgery promote survival; however, there is an urgent need to develop…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * One or more acute orthopedic injuries * The patient sustained an orthopedic injury including, but not limited to: * Pelvic or acetabulum fracture * Open/displaced comminuted fracture of long bones * Upper extremity injuries with a major nerve involvement * Injuries with significant injuries to major blood vessels * Traumatic amputation of big toe, thumb, or proximal to the wrist or ankle. * Initial admission to the trauma or orthopedic center/service of the participating hospital OR all necessary screening and patient characteristic data available in medical r…
Interventions
- BehavioralEmotional Awareness and Expression Therapy
The goal of EAET is to increase awareness of uncomfortable emotions that are often linked to stressful past experiences (e.g., anger, sadness, fear) and learn adaptive ways to experience and express those emotions, in a safe and controlled environment. Core treatment components include pain education, drawing associations between the experience of pain and emotion, and experiencing and expressing emotions via imaginary, in vivo, and real life exposures. EAET will be delivered via 8, 60-minute, weekly psychotherapy visits.
Location
- Johns Hopkins School of MedicineBaltimore, Maryland