Elsevier

Internet Interventions

Volume 30, December 2022, 100587
Internet Interventions

Guided internet-based cognitive-behavioral therapy for patients with chronic pain: A meta-analytic review

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.invent.2022.100587Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • Guided iCBT is an effective and potentially safe treatment for chronic pain.

  • Positive results were found for psychological, physical, and impact outcomes.

  • Longer treatments were more effective than shorter treatments for anxiety and QoL.

  • Therapist contact mode moderated effects on pain self-efficacy.

  • Treatment satisfaction was high and adverse events were minor.

Abstract

Background

Chronic pain has a large individual and societal burden. Previous reviews have shown that internet-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (iCBT) can support patients' pain coping. However, factors related to participant experience of iCBT and effective and safe iCBT delivery for chronic pain have not recently been summarized.

Objective

The aim of this review was to give an overview of the efficacy of guided iCBT for chronic pain on psychological, physical, and impact on daily life outcomes, including factors that inform optimal delivery.

Methods

Cochrane, Emcare, Web of Science, PubMed, PsycINFO, and Embase were systematically searched from inception to 11 February 2022. Randomized controlled trials on guided iCBTs for adults with chronic pain were included with a broad range of outcomes.

Results

The search yielded 7406 studies of which 33 studies were included totaling 5133 participants. ICBT was more effective than passive control conditions for psychological (ES = 0.34–0.47), physical (ES = 0.26–0.29), and impact outcomes (ES = 0.38–0.41). ICBT was more effective than active control conditions for distress (ES = 0.40), pain acceptance (ES = 0.15), and pain interference after outlier removal (ES = 0.30). Longer treatments were associated with larger effects for anxiety and quality of life than shorter treatments. Mode of therapist contact (synchronous, asynchronous or a mix of both) was not related to differences in effect sizes in most outcomes. However, studies with mixed and synchronous contact modes had higher effects on pain self-efficacy than studies with asynchronous contact modes. Treatment satisfaction was high and adverse events were minor. Dropout was related to time, health, technical issues, and lack of computer skills.

Conclusions

Guided iCBT is an effective and potentially safe treatment for chronic pain. Future research should more consistently report on iCBT safety and detail the effectiveness of individual treatment components to optimize iCBT in clinical practice.

Keywords

Cognitive-behavioral therapy
CBT
Internet-based treatment
Chronic pain
Meta-analysis

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