Efficacy of Videoconference Group Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Behavioral Activation Therapy for Depression (BATD) for Chronic Low Back Pain (CLBP) Plus Comorbid Depressive Symptoms: A Randomized Controlled Trial (IMPACT Study)

Juan P Sanabria-Mazo; Ariadna Colomer-Carbonell; Xavier Borràs; Juan R Castaño-Asins; Lance M McCracken; Jesus Montero-Marin; Adrián Pérez-Aranda; Sílvia Edo; Antoni Sanz; Albert Feliu-Soler; Juan V Luciano

doi:10.1016/j.jpain.2023.04.008

Efficacy of Videoconference Group Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Behavioral Activation Therapy for Depression (BATD) for Chronic Low Back Pain (CLBP) Plus Comorbid Depressive Symptoms: A Randomized Controlled Trial (IMPACT Study)

J Pain. 2023 Aug;24(8):1522-1540. doi: 10.1016/j.jpain.2023.04.008. Epub 2023 Apr 25.

Affiliations

¹ Teaching, Research & Innovation Unit, Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, St. Boi de Llobregat, Spain; Centre for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain; Department of Basic, Developmental and Educational Psychology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain.
² Centre for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain; Department of Basic, Developmental and Educational Psychology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain.
³ Parc de Salut MAR, Barcelona, Spain.
⁴ Psychology Department, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
⁵ Teaching, Research & Innovation Unit, Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, St. Boi de Llobregat, Spain; Centre for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
⁶ Department of Basic, Developmental and Educational Psychology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; Institute of Health Research of Aragon (IIS Aragon), Miguel Servet University Hospital, Zaragoza, Spain.
⁷ Department of Basic, Developmental and Educational Psychology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain.
⁸ Centre for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain; Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain.
⁹ Teaching, Research & Innovation Unit, Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, St. Boi de Llobregat, Spain; Centre for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain; Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain. Electronic address: juanvicente.luciano@uab.cat.

PMID: 37105508
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2023.04.008

Abstract

This study examined the efficacy of adding a remote, synchronous, group, videoconference-based form of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) or behavioral activation therapy for depression (BATD) to treatment-as-usual (TAU) in 234 patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP) plus comorbid depressive symptoms. Participants were randomly assigned to ACT, BATD, or TAU. Compared to TAU, ACT produced a significant reduction in pain interference at posttreatment (d = .64) and at follow-up (d = .73). BATD was only superior to TAU at follow-up (d = .66). A significant reduction in pain catastrophizing was reported by patients assigned to ACT and BATD at posttreatment (d = .45 and d = .59, respectively) and at follow-up (d = .59, in both) compared to TAU. Stress was significantly reduced at posttreatment by ACT in comparison to TAU (d = .69). No significant between-group differences were found in depressive or anxiety symptoms. Clinically relevant number needed to treat (NNT) values for reduction in pain interference were obtained at posttreatment (ACT vs TAU = 4) and at follow-up (ACT vs TAU = 3; BATD vs TAU = 5). In both active therapies, improvements in pain interference at follow-up were significantly related to improvements at posttreatment in psychological flexibility. These findings suggest that new forms of cognitive-behavioral therapy are clinically useful in improving pain interference and pain catastrophizing. Further research on evidence-based change processes is required to understand the therapeutic needs of patients with chronic pain and comorbid conditions. TRIAL NUMBER: NCT04140838. PERSPECTIVE: Group videoconference-based ACT and BATD showed greater efficacy than TAU for reducing pain interference and pain catastrophizing in patients with CLBP plus clinically relevant depression. Psychological flexibility appeared to be the main contributor to treatment effects for both ACT and BATD.

Keywords: Chronic low back pain; acceptance and commitment therapy; behavioral activation; depression; eHealth.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy*
Behavior Therapy
Chronic Pain* / psychology
Chronic Pain* / therapy
Depression / therapy
Humans
Low Back Pain* / therapy
Treatment Outcome

Associated data

ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT04140838