What is it about?
This study looks at whether chronic pain treatment can be improved by adding an existential perspective. Traditional pain therapy often focuses on controlling or reducing pain. But many people with long-lasting pain also struggle with feelings of loss, questions about meaning, and how to live a fulfilling life despite their condition. We compared two group programs: a standard cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) program, and the same program with two additional sessions that encouraged patients to reflect on acceptance, personal values, and meaning in life. The study found that patients who took part in the existential sessions felt less disabled by their pain, and these improvements lasted longer. People who described themselves as spiritual or religious seemed to benefit especially from the existential approach. In short, the results suggest that treating chronic pain can become more effective when psychological therapy also addresses deeper human concerns such as meaning, acceptance, and how to live well despite suffering.
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Why is it important?
This work is important because it suggests that chronic pain care can be improved by looking beyond symptom control. Addressing the broader human experience of suffering can help people regain hope, autonomy, and a sense of direction in life. For many patients, this may be a crucial step toward living more fully despite ongoing pain.
Perspectives
This work matters deeply to me because I have long felt that chronic pain is not only a physical condition but also an existential challenge. Many patients struggle not just with symptoms but with questions about identity, loss, and meaning. Bringing an existential perspective into pain treatment reflects my belief that people deserve support that reaches the whole human being—not only the body and psychological functioning, but also their values, hopes, and sense of meaning. For me, this study is a step toward a more humane and compassionate form of care.
Dr. Florian A. Gebler
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Effects of including an existential perspective in a cognitive-behavioral group program for chronic pain: A clinical trial with 6 months follow-up., The Humanistic Psychologist, April 2014, American Psychological Association (APA),
DOI: 10.1080/08873267.2013.865188.
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