Thesis (Psy.D.)--Wheaton College, 2006. / Abstract. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a cognitive behavioral group therapy intervention for chronic pain with an economically disadvantaged community sample of older adults. Specifically, the study was designed to assess the impact of the intervention on mood, general well-being, and the use of learned coping skills to manage pain. The program was a modified version of Ersek's "Managing Chronic Pain" which incorporated coping skills training in the areas of exercise, relaxation, and cognitive restructuring. The intervention consisted of a six week "class" with a one month follow-up booster session, each session lasting 90 minutes. Twenty-two participants with an average age of 77 living in government subsidized housing completed the program. The program was found to be moderately effective. Participants' pain intensity and interference did not significantly decrease, however scores trended in the predicted direction. Scores in the areas of mood, physical well-being, and coping skills all changed in the predicted directions, however the changes were not statistically significant. Mental health well-being increased significantly following program participation, but returned to initial levels at the one month follow-up booster session assessment. Clinical implications as well as limitations of the study are discussed. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 87-96).
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:OCLC/oai:xtcat.oclc.org:OCLCNo/276433326 |
| Date | January 2006 |
| Creators | Baker, Erin A. Jenkins. |
| Source Sets | OCLC |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Source | Theological Research Exchange Network (TREN) |
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