Online dialectical behavioral therapy for emotion dysregulation in people with chronic pain-A randomized clinical trial

Online dialectical behavioral therapy for emotion dysregulation in people with chronic pain-A randomized clinical trial
JAMA Network Open; by Nell Norman-Nott, Nancy E. Briggs, Negin Hesam-Shariati, Chelsey R. Wilks, Jessica Schroeder, Ashish D. Diwan, Jina Suh, Jill M. Newby, Toby Newton-John, Yann Quidé, James H. McAuley, Sylvia M. Gustin; 5/25
Chronic pain, defined as pain persisting beyond 3 months,1 affects 20% to 30% of the population. Beyond its sensory experience, chronic pain is an intrinsically emotional experience associated with heightened negative emotions, including anger, worry, and low mood, alongside a diminished capacity to regulate emotions. Dysregulated emotions contribute to comorbid psychological disorders; symptoms of anxiety and depression, which are present in 50% to 80% of people with chronic pain; and worsening pain intensity. One emotion regulation–focused intervention being adapted for chronic pain is dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT). In DBT skills training, emotion regulation is improved by encouraging emotion recognition, emotion expression, and reaction evaluation. Results of small in-person trials of DBT for people with chronic pain show promise to improve emotion dysregulation, depression, anxiety, and pain intensity.