title: Effectiveness of a multimodal treatment program for somatoform pain disorder.
abstract: Chronic pain conditions are highly prevalent, with somatoform pain disorder accounting for a large proportion. However, the psychological forms of treatment currently used achieve only small to medium effect sizes. This retrospective study investigated the effectiveness of a 5-week multimodal pain program for patients with somatoform pain disorder. The diagnosis of somatoform pain disorder was confirmed by a specialist for anesthesiology and pain management and a specialist for psychosomatic medicine. Therapy outcome was evaluated with a Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), the Pain Disability Index (PDI), and the Pain Perception Scale. Within the study sample (n = 100), all parameters showed a significant and clinically relevant improvement at the end of therapy (P values < 0.001). The highest effect sizes (d) were found for reduction in average pain rating (NRS: d = 1.00) and the affective items of the Pain Perception Scale (SES-A: d = 0.07). The lowest effect sizes were found for improvement of pain-related disabilities (PDI: d = 0.42) and sensory items of the Pain Perception Scale (SES-S: d = 0.50). Despite high chronification of pain condition, with average pain duration of greater than 8 years, the multimodal treatment program showed medium to large effect sizes on the outcome of patients with somatoform pain disorder. Compared with previous data with small to moderate effect sizes, a multimodal program seems to be more effective than other interventions to address somatoform pain disorder.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Centre Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany; Department for Psychotherapy and Biopsychosocial Health, Danube University Krems, Krems, Austria.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pieh
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Neumeier
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Loew
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Altmeppen
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Angerer
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Busch
authors.forename: Claas
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lahmann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain; D059408:Pain Management; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics
keywords: cognitive behavioral therapy; medically unexplained symptoms; multimodal treatment; somatic symptom disorder; somatoform disorder