Chronic low back pain is a major health concern among older adults and is associated with increased economic, functional, and psychological burden. Resilience has been highlighted as a crucial factor in positive health-related functioning, and a growing body of literature supports the use of resilience-based interventions in chronic pain. Therefore, the goals of this project are to examine the feasibility and acceptability of a resilience intervention for chronic low back pain among older adults.
Chronic pain is one of the leading causes of disability, affecting over 100 million people in the United States and resulting in tremendous health care costs and psychological burden. Older adults are disproportionately impacted by pain, with an estimated 60-70% of people over the age of 65 reporting persistent pain. Despite this, pain management is frequently suboptimal among older adults as pharmacological therapies show limited clinical efficacy and a greater risk of adverse effects, and nonpharmacological (e.g., psychological) treatments are often underutilized. Resilience is conceptualized as adaptive functioning in the face of adversity and comprises a range of psychological, social, and physical resources. Increasing evidence suggests that modifiable resilience factors are associated with more favorable pain outcomes, including lower clinical pain/disability, higher quality of life, and enhanced psychological and physical functioning. Although cross-sectional research supports the significance of these resilience factors in pain adaptation, and positive psychological therapies have been shown to yield improvements in health and well-being, strategies to augment resilience are understudied in individuals with chronic pain. Using a Stage Model approach,the aim of this project is to conduct a Stage I pilot study and examine the feasibility and acceptability of a resilience intervention for chronic low back pain among older adults. Intervention modules will specifically engage hope, self-efficacy, positive affect, and pain acceptance.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
63
Resilience skills training including: pleasant activities, hope/goal-setting, pain acceptance, positive events/reappraisals, and self-efficacy.
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida, United States
Session-level Engagement
Treatment Engagement Questionnaire: 6-item study-adapted questionnaire assessing perceptions of engagement, interest in the session content, and usefulness of the home activities. Items are rated on a 0 to 8 scale and mean scored, with the mean value across sessions calculated. Higher scores indicate greater treatment engagement.
Time frame: Assessed Weekly up to 8 Weeks
Treatment Satisfaction
8-item Client Satisfaction Questionnaire: Response to self-reported quality of the treatment, willingness to recommend the treatment, and general satisfaction with the treatment. Items are rated on a 1 to 4 scale with the mean value calculated. Higher scores indicate greater satisfaction with the treatment.
Time frame: 8 Weeks
Treatment Credibility and Expectancy
Treatment Expectation Questionnaire: 7-item study-adapted questionnaire assessing the credibility and reasonableness of the intervention, and expectation for change in pain symptoms. Items are rated on a 0 to 10 scale. A mean score is calculated for the questionnaire, with higher scores indicating greater treatment credibility.
Time frame: Baseline
Satisfaction With Intervention Content
Intervention Content Satisfaction Questionnaire: 33-item study-developed questionnaire assessing the usefulness of each intervention session module and home activity. Items are rated on a 0 to 4 scale with the mean value calculated. Higher scores indicate greater satisfaction with the intervention content.
Time frame: 8 Weeks
Intervention Commencement Rate
Percentage of participants who are enrolled in the study and commence treatment/intervention.
Time frame: Baseline to Week 1
Participant Retention
Percentage of participants who commence treatment/intervention and complete the 8-week time-point.
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Time frame: Baseline to 8 Weeks
Questionnaire Feasibility
Percentage completion rates of primary outcome study measures (averaged across all sessions).
Time frame: Baseline to 8 Weeks
Home Activity Feasibility
Home Activities Questionnaire: 3-item study-adapted questionnaire assessing the degree of home-activity completion, level of understanding regarding home activities, and degree of time and effort needed to complete activities. Items are rated on a 0 to 6 scale and mean scored, with the mean value across sessions calculated. Higher scores indicate greater feasibility of home activity completion.
Time frame: Assessed Weekly up to 8 Weeks