What is it about?
Cognitive behavioral for chronic pain (CBT-CP) is focused on helping people with pain adopt strategies to improve their pain experience. Systematic training of therapists and implementation of the Department of Veterans Affairs CBT-CP protocol yielded significant patient improvements across multiple domains.
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Why is it important?
This offers strong support for the VA’s CBT-CP as an effective, safe treatment for Veterans with chronic pain and highlights it as a model to increase the availability of training in standardized, pain-focused, evidence-based, behavioral interventions. The findings suggest that the broad dissemination of such training would improve patient access to effective, nonpharmacological treatment options in both the public and private sectors.
Perspectives
Chronic pain is a whole person experience. To address it effectively, behavioral treatments must be integrated into standard care so that individuals are empowered with strategies to help manage their pain. CBT-CP is recommended as a first-line treatment for chronic pain across national guidelines; however, there remains a general shortage of clinicians who are trained to provide it. Working together, the private sector and VA healthcare system should aim to enhance the broad-based dissemination of behavioral medicine approaches as a public health strategy to optimally address chronic pain.
Jennifer Murphy
Department of Veterans Affairs Central Office
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Cognitive behavioral therapy for chronic pain in veterans: Evidence for clinical effectiveness in a model program., Psychological Services, February 2022, American Psychological Association (APA),
DOI: 10.1037/ser0000506.
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