Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy for Chronic Pain and Opioid Use Disorder

NCT ID: NCT06865560

Last Updated: 2025-10-24

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 30 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2025-06-03
• Study Completion Date: 2027-01-31

Brief Summary

The study is intended to test whether a group-based Zoom behavioral treatment can help adults with chronic pain and opioid use disorder (OUD) learn effective strategies for reducing pain, disability and other problems that can come with these conditions (such as depression, anxiety, and difficulty managing emotions).

Detailed Description

Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy (EAET) is a behavioral therapy that focuses on reducing chronic pain by helping people work on the effects of stress, trauma, and emotions that they have experienced in their lives. It is delivered in group sessions of 5-7 individuals by trained therapists who treat emotions or problems in relationships to reduce chronic pain. Pain decreases through increased recognition and expression of emotions, and learning to feel safe in the presence of emotions.

The primary aim of the study is to demonstrate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of the proposed EAET intervention in adults with chronic pain and opioid use disorder.

Conditions

Chronic Pain; Opioid Use Disorder

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NA
• Intervention Model: SINGLE_GROUP
• Primary Study Purpose: OTHER
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy (EAET)

Adults with chronic pain and mild to moderate opioid use disorder (OUD).

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy (EAET)

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

A validated, 8-week, group-based telehealth-based behavioral intervention for chronic pain. Session content will include pain neuroscience education, emotion-focused expressive writing, in-vivo emotional expression practices, self-compassion and forgiveness exercises, and assertive communication strategies. Participants will also be provided handouts and pre-recorded guided imagery and cognitive exercises that they can use to facilitate between-session practices.

Interventions

Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy (EAET)

A validated, 8-week, group-based telehealth-based behavioral intervention for chronic pain. Session content will include pain neuroscience education, emotion-focused expressive writing, in-vivo emotional expression practices, self-compassion and forgiveness exercises, and assertive communication strategies. Participants will also be provided handouts and pre-recorded guided imagery and cognitive exercises that they can use to facilitate between-session practices.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Be able to read, write and speak English
• Have Internet access and audio-visual conferencing capability (e.g., Zoom meetings by phone or computer) in the home
• Widespread pain and has opioid use disorder (OUD)

Exclusion Criteria

• Diagnosis of autoimmune disease, spinal cord injury, cancer.
• Currently receiving cognitive-behavioral therapy, EAET, or other psychological therapies for pain
• Open litigation regarding chronic pain in the past 1 year, as assessed in preliminary study screening.
• Inability to provide informed consent and complete study procedures (e.g., indications of suspected major cognitive impairment via observations of study staff during consenting) that would preclude comprehension or participation in study protocols.
• Pregnant or breastfeeding
• Any other diseases or conditions that would make a patient unsuitable for study participation as determined by the site principal investigators.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

University of Michigan

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

John Sturgeon

Clinical Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

John Sturgeon, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Michigan

Locations

The University of Michigan

Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

United States

Central Contacts

Joseph Long

Role: CONTACT

josephlo@med.umich.edu

734-763-0108

Sana Shaikh

Role: CONTACT

skazi@med.umich.edu

734-763-5226

Facility Contacts

Joseph Long

Role: primary

josephlo@med.umich.edu

734-763-0108

Sana Shaikh

Role: backup

skazi@med.umich.edu

734-763-5226

Other Identifiers

HUM00266504

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id