Therapeutic Writing for Adults Suffering From Chronic Pain and Comorbid Mental Health Disorders

NCT ID: NCT07058532

Last Updated: 2025-07-10

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 5 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2025-08-31
• Study Completion Date: 2026-04-30

Brief Summary

The goal of this observational study is to understand the effects and experiences of therapeutic writing interventions in adult women with chronic pain and co-occurring mental health conditions. The main questions it aims to answer are:

Can therapeutic writing help relieve chronic pain and emotional distress?

How does writing support emotional processing, regulation, and meaning-making during rehabilitation?

Participants will take part in a two-part writing intervention involving:

Guided writing exercises that focus on emotional processing, emotion regulation, and creating meaning.

Individual interviews after the writing sessions to explore their experiences.

The study uses qualitative analysis methods-phenomenology and logotherapy-to better understand how these writing interventions may support recovery, improve well-being, and offer non-pharmacological tools for managing chronic pain and mental health challenges.

Detailed Description

Chronic pain affects approximately 20% of the global population and represents one of the most widespread causes of disability worldwide. Individuals living with chronic pain often experience additional mental health challenges-such as depression, anxiety, or trauma-related disorders-which compound their suffering and reduce quality of life. Traditional pain management strategies often focus on physical symptoms, while the emotional and psychological dimensions may remain under-addressed.

This study aims to explore the potential of therapeutic writing-a psychological intervention that encourages participants to express and process emotions through guided writing exercises-as a complementary approach for improving health and well-being in individuals with both chronic pain and mental health conditions.

The study is being conducted at the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation of Satasairaala Hospital in Finland and involves five adult female participants with chronic pain and comorbid psychiatric conditions. Each participant will engage in a two-part writing intervention that incorporates techniques grounded in emotional processing, emotion regulation, and meaning-making. These exercises are designed to help individuals articulate their internal experiences, explore the personal impact of pain and illness, and foster a sense of psychological coherence.

Data collection spans two sub-studies:

Sub-studies 1 and 2 involve qualitative interviews with participants following the intervention, capturing their firsthand experiences and perceived effects.

The qualitative data will be analyzed using a multi-method approach, combining phenomenological analysis-which highlights the participants' lived experiences-and logotherapy-informed analysis, which examines how therapeutic writing supports the search for meaning during rehabilitation. This dual approach provides a comprehensive view of how narrative expression may influence recovery pathways.

The ultimate goal is to identify writing-based strategies that can complement clinical care for this patient population and inform future updates to rehabilitation programs and treatment guidelines-both locally and nationally. If proven beneficial, therapeutic writing could serve as an accessible, cost-effective, and non-pharmacological tool to enhance holistic pain care and mental health support.

Conditions

Chronic Pain; Mental Health Disorder; Psychiatric &Amp;Amp;or Mood Disorder; Psychiatric Comorbidities; Psychiatric Diagnosis; Emotional Pain; Emotional Distress; Emotion Regulation; Emotional Processing; Meaning of Life; Meaning Made; Meaning of Life and Life Satisfaction; Depressive Disorder; Anxiety Disorders; Sleep Disorder; Comorbid Depression; Process, Acceptance

Study Design

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

Study Groups

Therapeutic Writing Intervention in Pain Rehabilitation

Participants in this single-arm study will take part in a structured therapeutic writing intervention as part of a multidisciplinary pain rehabilitation program at the Pain Clinic of Satasairaala Hospital. The study spans approximately three months and includes around 11 clinic visits. The intervention is delivered in two phases: first, four consecutive daily writing sessions (20 minutes each), followed by four weekly sessions (30-60 minutes each). Prior to the intervention, participants are assessed for eligibility by the clinic's multidisciplinary team and interviewed by the principal investigator. Post-intervention, participants are interviewed twice to explore their health-related experiences with the writing process.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Therapeutic Writing Intervention in Pain Rehabilitation

Intervention Type: OTHER

The therapeutic writing intervention is designed to support emotional processing and regulation in individuals with chronic pain and comorbid mental health disorders. It has been developed specifically for use in a clinical rehabilitation setting and is delivered in two phases over a four-week period at the Pain Clinic of Satasairaala Hospital. Sessions are conducted in person, with clinical staff available to support participants. The intervention is non-pharmacological, low-risk, and integrated into the broader multidisciplinary care pathway.

Interventions

Therapeutic Writing Intervention in Pain Rehabilitation

The therapeutic writing intervention is designed to support emotional processing and regulation in individuals with chronic pain and comorbid mental health disorders. It has been developed specifically for use in a clinical rehabilitation setting and is delivered in two phases over a four-week period at the Pain Clinic of Satasairaala Hospital. Sessions are conducted in person, with clinical staff available to support participants. The intervention is non-pharmacological, low-risk, and integrated into the broader multidisciplinary care pathway.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Adult women (18 years or older), assigned female at birth and self-identify as women
• Diagnosed with or experience of chronic, widespread (non-cancer) pain lasting at least two years
• Diagnosed with or living with one or more mild mental health disorders (e.g., anxiety, mild depression), without current or past severe psychiatric conditions
• Diagnosed with or experience of nociplastic pain (e.g., fibromyalgia)
• Not currently using medications that may impair cognitive functioning (e.g., benzodiazepines, anticholinergics, opioids, antipsychotics)
• Able to attend approximately 11 in-person visits over a 3-month period
• Willing and able to participate in a structured therapeutic writing intervention
• Purposefully selected to reflect a range of lived experiences relevant to the study's aims

Exclusion Criteria

• Presence of severe mental health disorders (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, severe depression, or other psychotic conditions)
• Use of medications known to impair memory, attention, or decision-making (e.g., benzodiazepines, anticholinergics, opioids, antipsychotics)
• Participation in other concurrent treatments that may influence study outcomes
• Cognitive limitations that would hinder meaningful engagement in the writing intervention
• Individuals not assigned female at birth or who do not identify as women

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

Sponsors

Toni Salikka

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Toni Salikka

MA, PhD Candidate

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

Satasairaala Hospital, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation: Pain Clinic

Pori, Satakunta, Finland

Countries

Finland

Central Contacts

Toni Salikka, MA, PhD Candidate

Role: CONTACT

toni.salikka@tuni.fi

+358453046569

University Lecturer, PhD

Role: CONTACT

sari.frojd@tuni.fi

+358401901623

Facility Contacts

Chief Medical Officer and Physician, MD, PhD

Role: primary

hannu.heikkila@sata.fi

+35844707330

Psychotherapist, MSc in Health Sciences

Role: backup

suvi.rantakomi-stansfield@sata.fi

+358405696216

Other Identifiers

R25034

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id