1- Department of Psychology, Fir.C., Islamic Azad University, Firuzabad, Iran
2- Department of Psychology, Ars.C.., Islamic Azad University, Arsanjan, Iran ,mirzaeireza63@iau.ir
2- Department of Psychology, Ars.C.., Islamic Azad University, Arsanjan, Iran ,
Abstract: (6 Views)
Objective: Chronic pain is one of the most prevalent health problems worldwide, associated not only with physical suffering but also with numerous psychological consequences, including reduced pain management self-efficacy and chronic pain-related worry. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based psychological approach with high potential for targeting these variables. The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of CBT on pain management self-efficacy and reduction of chronic pain-related worry in patients with chronic pain.
Methods: This study was a randomized clinical trial with a pretest-posttest design and a control group. The statistical population included all patients with chronic pain referred to pain clinics in Tehran, Iran, in 2024. A total of 30 patients were selected using convenience sampling and then randomly assigned to two groups: experimental (n = 15) and control (n = 15). The experimental group received 10 sessions of 90-minute CBT based on a standard pain management protocol, while the control group was placed on a waiting list. Research instruments included the Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ) and the Chronic Worry Scale (CWS) for chronic pain. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) with SPSS version 26.
Results: The results showed that CBT significantly increased pain management self-efficacy (p < .001) and reduced chronic pain-related worry (p < .001) in the experimental group compared with the control group. The effect size (eta squared) was .62 for self-efficacy and .58 for worry, indicating moderate to large effectiveness of CBT.
Conclusions: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, through restructuring dysfunctional beliefs about pain, reducing pain catastrophizing, and teaching coping skills, is an effective tool for increasing pain management self-efficacy and reducing pain-specific worry in patients with chronic pain. It is recommended that CBT be integrated as a complementary treatment in pain clinics.
Methods: This study was a randomized clinical trial with a pretest-posttest design and a control group. The statistical population included all patients with chronic pain referred to pain clinics in Tehran, Iran, in 2024. A total of 30 patients were selected using convenience sampling and then randomly assigned to two groups: experimental (n = 15) and control (n = 15). The experimental group received 10 sessions of 90-minute CBT based on a standard pain management protocol, while the control group was placed on a waiting list. Research instruments included the Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ) and the Chronic Worry Scale (CWS) for chronic pain. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) with SPSS version 26.
Results: The results showed that CBT significantly increased pain management self-efficacy (p < .001) and reduced chronic pain-related worry (p < .001) in the experimental group compared with the control group. The effect size (eta squared) was .62 for self-efficacy and .58 for worry, indicating moderate to large effectiveness of CBT.
Conclusions: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, through restructuring dysfunctional beliefs about pain, reducing pain catastrophizing, and teaching coping skills, is an effective tool for increasing pain management self-efficacy and reducing pain-specific worry in patients with chronic pain. It is recommended that CBT be integrated as a complementary treatment in pain clinics.
Keywords: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Pain Management Self-Efficacy, Chronic Pain-Related Worry, Chronic Pain, Clinical Trial
Type of Study: Original |
Subject:
Educational Psychology
Received: 2026/02/26 | Accepted: 2026/05/11
Received: 2026/02/26 | Accepted: 2026/05/11
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