Randomized controlled trial of a community-based nursing intervention for those experiencing chronic non-malignant pain

Abstract

The major purpose of this randomized controlled trial was to examine the effect of a low-cost, community-based, nurse-delivered, group psychoeducation program entitled the Chronic Pain Self-Management Program (CPSMP) on a number of pain-related and other quality of life outcomes in those experiencing an idiopathic chronic non-malignant pain problem. One hundred and ten individuals referred by community-based health care professionals, a pain clinic service, or self-referral were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: the 12-hour CPSMP intervention group or the 3-month wait-list control group. One hundred and two individuals completed the study. Results of intention-to-treat statistical analyses indicated that the treatment group had significant improvement or strong positive trends to improvement in pain, dependency, mental health, disability, vitality, self-help role behaviours and other role functioning indicators, life satisfaction, and in self-efficacy and resourcefulness compared to the wait-list control group.An additional purpose of this study was to test the hypothesized relationships in the Self-Help Model: Learned Response to Chronic Illness Experience. Causal modeling using path analyses tested the Model at two points in time: pretest and posttest. Overall, the hypothesized pattern of relationships in the Self-Help Model were supported by the data