Self-Compassion and Acute Pain

NCT ID: NCT03647683

Last Updated: 2019-04-10

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 120 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2018-04-15
• Study Completion Date: 2018-11-30

Brief Summary

Research on self-compassion suggests its impact in the context of pain. In the current study, the investigators evaluate a short self-compassion intervention for coping with acute pain.

Detailed Description

Self-compassion comprises three components: self-kindness, common humanity and mindfulness. Empirical evidence shows the relevance of self-compassion in the context of negative emotions such as depression, anxiety and anger. Research on chronic pain is promising yet limited. Self-compassion is associated with better pain-coping, pain-acceptance and quality of life, as well as reduced pain-related disability and burdening emotions. Experimental investigations on induced pain are missing. The aim of the current study is to evaluate a short self-compassion intervention for pain.

First, a heat stimulus is induced to all participants which is to be tolerated as long as possible and evaluated in intensity and unpleasantness. Next, participants receive a coping-strategy which they are randomly assigned to. Three different strategies are evaluated: (1) self-compassion, treating oneself with kindness while being mindfully aware of the painful stimulus, (2) acceptance, accepting the painful stimulus as well as pain-related thoughts, not trying to change, (3) distraction, distracting oneself from the painful stimulus and trying not to perceive the pain or painful thoughts. Participants practice the strategy with the painful heat stimulus three times. Then, they receive another heat stimulus which is to be tolerated as long as possible and evaluated. During the next week, participants obtain daily practices via e-mail for further fostering of the learned strategy. Finally, participants receive, tolerate and evaluate pain again in the laboratory.

Conditions

Acute Pain

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Self-Compassion

After pretreatment heat pain assessment, participants are introduced to the concept of self-compassion. Participants practice the new strategy with heat pain stimuli three times. Next, the posttreatment pain assessment is conducted. For a one week period, participants receive daily self-compassion audio-interventions. Afterwards, the follow-up pain assessment is conducted.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Self-Compassion

Intervention Type: OTHER

Participants are introduced to the concept of self-compassion. Treating oneself with kindness, while being mindfully aware of the present moment as well as the fact that suffering is part of human life - a shared human experience.

Participants are instructed to use this strategy to cope with the following heat stimulus.

Heat pain

Intervention Type: OTHER

Participants receive heat pain stimuli using the Thermo Sensory Analyser (TSA-II), a commonly used device to study pain sensation and analgesic effects.

Acceptance

After pretreatment heat pain assessment, participants are introduced to the concept of acceptance. Participants practice the new strategy with heat pain stimuli three times. Next, the posttreatment pain assessment is conducted. For a one week period, participants receive daily acceptance audio-interventions. Afterwards, the follow-up pain assessment is conducted.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Acceptance

Intervention Type: OTHER

Participants are introduced to the concept of acceptance. Thoughts, Emotions and Reactions do not need to be related. Being aware of the present moment helps with accepting the present state and reacting contradictory to the thoughts and feelings.

Participants are instructed to use this strategy to cope with the following heat stimulus.

Heat pain

Intervention Type: OTHER

Participants receive heat pain stimuli using the Thermo Sensory Analyser (TSA-II), a commonly used device to study pain sensation and analgesic effects.

Distraction

After pretreatment heat pain assessment, participants are introduced to the concept of distraction. Participants practice the new strategy with heat pain stimuli three times. Next, the posttreatment pain assessment is conducted. For a one week period, participants receive daily distraction audio-interventions. Afterwards, the follow-up pain assessment is conducted.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Distraction

Intervention Type: OTHER

Participants are introduced to the concept of distraction. Distracting oneself from the present situation helps with not perceiving pain, painful thoughts or feelings.

Participants are instructed to use this strategy to cope with the following heat stimulus.

Heat pain

Intervention Type: OTHER

Participants receive heat pain stimuli using the Thermo Sensory Analyser (TSA-II), a commonly used device to study pain sensation and analgesic effects.

Interventions

Self-Compassion

Participants are introduced to the concept of self-compassion. Treating oneself with kindness, while being mindfully aware of the present moment as well as the fact that suffering is part of human life - a shared human experience.

Participants are instructed to use this strategy to cope with the following heat stimulus.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Acceptance

Participants are introduced to the concept of acceptance. Thoughts, Emotions and Reactions do not need to be related. Being aware of the present moment helps with accepting the present state and reacting contradictory to the thoughts and feelings.

Participants are instructed to use this strategy to cope with the following heat stimulus.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Distraction

Participants are introduced to the concept of distraction. Distracting oneself from the present situation helps with not perceiving pain, painful thoughts or feelings.

Participants are instructed to use this strategy to cope with the following heat stimulus.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Heat pain

Participants receive heat pain stimuli using the Thermo Sensory Analyser (TSA-II), a commonly used device to study pain sensation and analgesic effects.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• sufficient german language knowledge
• at least 18 years old

Exclusion Criteria

• acute or chronic pain conditions
• drug or pain-medication (last 24 hours)
• Raynaud's disease
• high blood pressure
• neuropathy, coronary diseases
• diabetes, current alcohol
• studying psychology longer than two years

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Philipps University Marburg

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Anja C Schmitt

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Philipps University Marburg

Locations

Philipps-University of Marburg

Marburg, Hesse, Germany

Countries

Germany

Other Identifiers

2017-60v

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id