TY - JOUR
T1 - Efficacy of Online-Based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Chronic Pain
T2 - A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
AU - Trindade, Inês A.
AU - Guiomar, Raquel
AU - Carvalho, Sérgio A.
AU - Duarte, Joana
AU - Lapa, Teresa
AU - Menezes, Paulo
AU - Nogueira, Maria Rita
AU - Patrão, Bruno
AU - Pinto-Gouveia, José
AU - Castilho, Paula
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) has been widely tested for chronic pain, with demonstrated efficacy. Nevertheless, although there is meta-analytical evidence on the efficacy of face-to-face ACT, no reviews have been performed on online ACT in this population. The aim of this meta-analysis is to determine the efficacy of online ACT for adults with chronic pain, when compared with controls. PubMed, PsycINFO, CENTRAL, and Web of Knowledge were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of online-delivered ACT for chronic pain. Effects were analyzed at post-treatment and follow-up, by calculating standardized mean differences. Online-delivered ACT was generally favored over controls (5 RCTs, N = 746). At post-treatment, medium effects for pain interference and pain acceptance, and small effects for depression, mindfulness, and psychological flexibility were found. A medium effect for pain interference and acceptance, and small effects for pain intensity, depression, anxiety, mindfulness, and psychological flexibility were found at follow-up. ACT-related effects for pain interference, pain intensity, mindfulness, and anxiety increased from post-treatment to follow-up. Nevertheless, the current findings also highlight the need for more methodologically robust RCTs. Future trials should compare online ACT with active treatments, and use measurement methods with low bias. Perspective: This is the first meta-analytical review on the efficacy of online ACT for people with chronic pain. It comprises 5 RCTs that compared online ACT with active and/or inactive controls. Online ACT was more efficacious than controls regarding pain interference, pain intensity, depression, anxiety, mindfulness, and psychological flexibility.
AB - Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) has been widely tested for chronic pain, with demonstrated efficacy. Nevertheless, although there is meta-analytical evidence on the efficacy of face-to-face ACT, no reviews have been performed on online ACT in this population. The aim of this meta-analysis is to determine the efficacy of online ACT for adults with chronic pain, when compared with controls. PubMed, PsycINFO, CENTRAL, and Web of Knowledge were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of online-delivered ACT for chronic pain. Effects were analyzed at post-treatment and follow-up, by calculating standardized mean differences. Online-delivered ACT was generally favored over controls (5 RCTs, N = 746). At post-treatment, medium effects for pain interference and pain acceptance, and small effects for depression, mindfulness, and psychological flexibility were found. A medium effect for pain interference and acceptance, and small effects for pain intensity, depression, anxiety, mindfulness, and psychological flexibility were found at follow-up. ACT-related effects for pain interference, pain intensity, mindfulness, and anxiety increased from post-treatment to follow-up. Nevertheless, the current findings also highlight the need for more methodologically robust RCTs. Future trials should compare online ACT with active treatments, and use measurement methods with low bias. Perspective: This is the first meta-analytical review on the efficacy of online ACT for people with chronic pain. It comprises 5 RCTs that compared online ACT with active and/or inactive controls. Online ACT was more efficacious than controls regarding pain interference, pain intensity, depression, anxiety, mindfulness, and psychological flexibility.
KW - Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
KW - Chronic pain
KW - Meta-analysis
KW - Online-delivered ACT
KW - Systematic review
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85106564028&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jpain.2021.04.003
DO - 10.1016/j.jpain.2021.04.003
M3 - Review article
C2 - 33892153
AN - SCOPUS:85106564028
SN - 1526-5900
VL - 22
SP - 1328
EP - 1342
JO - Journal of Pain
JF - Journal of Pain
IS - 11
ER -