Efficacy of a self-management group intervention for elderly persons with chronic pain.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the efficacy of a self-management group intervention in improving physical functioning, mood, and pain among elderly persons with chronic pain, and to identify factors that may be associated with improvement.


METHODS
Forty-five residents of three retirement communities (86% women; mean age, 82.0 years) were assigned randomly to a 7-week pain self-management group or an educational booklet control condition. Participants completed self-report measures of pain, functioning, depression, and pain-related beliefs at baseline, 9 weeks later (after treatment), and 3 months after the post-treatment assessment.


RESULTS
The self-management group showed significantly greater pre- to post-treatment improvement in physical role function (P = 0.04) and characteristic pain intensity (P = 0.02). No significant differences were found between groups on measures of pain-related activity interference, depression, and pain-related beliefs. Improvement in characteristic pain and physical role function was not associated with baseline depression scores, pretreatment expectations, or changes in pain-related beliefs.


CONCLUSIONS
This study provides preliminary support for the efficacy of a self-management group intervention for older adults with chronic pain and has implications for future studies of such approaches for this and similar populations.
Ersek
Mary
M
Pain Research Department, Swedish Medical Center, Seattle, WA 98104, USA. mary.ersek@swedish.org
Turner
Judith A
JA
McCurry
Susan M
SM
Gibbons
Laura
L
Kraybill
Beth Miller
BM
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over / Q000523:psychology*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006299:Health Services for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D059408:Pain Management; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group / Q000379:methods*; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D020377:Self Efficacy; D016896:Treatment Outcome