Effectiveness of a Multimodal Treatment Program for Somatoform Pain Disorder. Issue 3 (4th December 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Pieh, Christoph; Neumeier, Susanne; Loew, Thomas; Altmeppen, Jürgen; Angerer, Michael; Busch, Volker; Lahmann, Claas
• Is Part Of: Pain practice. Volume 14:Issue 3(2014)
• Page Start: E146
• Page End: E151
• Publication Date: 2013-12-04
• Subjects: Pain -- Treatment -- Periodicals; 616.0472
• DOI: 10.1111/papr.12144
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1530-7085

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="papr12144-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <p>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 (<italic>n</italic> = 100), all parameters showed a significant and clinically relevant improvement at the end of therapy (<italic>P</italic> values < 0.001). The highest effect sizes (<italic>d</italic>) were found for reduction in average pain rating (NRS:<italic> d</italic> = 1.00) and the affective items of the Pain Perception Scale (SES‐A: <italic>d</italic> = 0.07). The lowest effect sizes were found for improvement of pain‐related disabilities (PDI:<italic> d</italic> = 0.42) and sensory items of the Pain Perception Scale (SES‐S: <italic>d</italic> = 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.</p> </abstract>