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.
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.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
120
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.
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.
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.
Philipps-University of Marburg
Marburg, Hesse, Germany
Individual heat pain tolerance
Change in the individual heat pain tolerance (the point when participants cannot stand the heat pain stimulus any longer)
Time frame: Baseline, 45 min, 1 week
Pain intensity
Change in subjective pain intensity assessed using a numeric rating scale (ranging from 0 to 10, with higher values reflecting more pain intensity)
Time frame: Baseline, 45 min, 1 week
Change in pain unpleasantness scale
Change in subjective pain unpleasentness assessed using a numeric rating scale (ranging from 0 to 10, with higher values reflecting more pain unpleasentness)
Time frame: Baseline, 45 min, 1 week
Change in self-compassion
Change in overall self-compassion assessed using the self-compassion scale (Neff, 2003) (higher values indicating higher self-compassion
Time frame: Baseline, 45 min, 1 week
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Participants receive heat pain stimuli using the Thermo Sensory Analyser (TSA-II), a commonly used device to study pain sensation and analgesic effects.