Research

Title: Feasibility of a Technology-Enabled Chronic Pain Self-Management Intervention Delivered by Community Health Workers Investigator: Mary Janevic, PhD, University of Michigan Overview: Learning chronic pain self-management skills can help patients improve daily functioning and quality of life, while avoiding risks associated with opioids and other pharmacological treatments. Community health workers (CHWs) may help make chronic pain self-management interventions more accessible to older adults living in underserved communities. The goal of this study is to conduct a randomized pilot and feasibility trial of a positive psychology-based chronic pain self-management intervention delivered by CHWs, in conjunction with mobile health tools, in a sample of [...]

Title: Adaptation of Ca-HELP Intervention in Rural Geriatric Cancer Patient Population Investigator: Megan Shen, PhD, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center; Jill Harrison, PhD, Brown University Overview: The Cancer Health Empowerment for Living without Pain (Ca-HELP) is an evidence-based communication tool that empowers and engages patients to communicate effectively with their physicians about pain. The Ca-HELP intervention is rooted in social-cognitive theory which posits that behavior change and maintenance depends largely on individuals' ability and self-efficacy to execute a specific behavior. Ca-HELP coaches patients to ask questions, make requests, and signal distress to their physicians in order to achieve improved pain control. Previous research [...]

Title: Feasibility of a Remote Social Network-Based Occupational Therapy Intervention to Address Physical Function, Activity and Pain in Affordable Senior Housing Investigator: Noah J. Webster, PhD, University of Michigan Overview: The goal of this project is to test feasibility of pairing a social network-based approach with Occupational Therapy (OT) to increase physical function and activity.  Only 16% of people age 65+ engage in recommended activity levels.  OT and social relationships may facilitate increased activity through addressing barriers such as pain. The goals of the intervention is to increase physical function and activity through development of habits and skills that address [...]

Title: Testing an Intervention to Reduce Pain and Depression Among Older African American Women with Physical Disabilities Investigator: Janiece L. Taylor, PhD, MSN, RN, FAAN, Johns Hopkins University Overview: This novel study will advance the science in pain and co-occurring depression in older African American women with disabilities. This multicomponent intervention uses a multidisciplinary approach to address the public health problem of older African American women with disabilities. The purpose of this study is to use self-regulation theory to refine and further test the feasibility of a tailored behavioral activation intervention, African American Women in Pain Reduction through Improved Mood [...]

Title: Feasibility and Acceptability of Pain Reprocessing Therapy in Racially/Ethnically Diverse Adults with Chronic Back Pain Investigator: Yoni Ashar, PhD, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus Overview: In most cases, peripheral tissue causes of chronic back pain (CBP) cannot be identified, and central nervous system processes are believed to play a prominent role. For this chronic pain subtype—termed primary chronic pain in the ICD-11—pain-related fear and avoidance are key maintenance factors. We recently developed a novel psychological treatment, Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT), that employs cognitive and exposure-based techniques to reduce pain-related fear and avoidance and resolve primary CBP. The main [...]