Journal of Pain and Symptom Management
Volume 35, Issue 6 , Pages 623-631 , June 2008

Emotional Disclosure Through Patient Narrative May Improve Pain and Well-Being: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial in Patients with Cancer Pain

  • M. Soledad Cepeda, MD, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Anesthesia, Tufts-New England Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress correspondence to: M. Soledad Cepeda, MD, PhD, Department of Anesthesia, Tufts-New England Medical Center, 750 Washington Street, Box 298, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
    • ,
  • C. Richard Chapman, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Pain Research Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
    • ,
  • Nelcy Miranda, RN

      Affiliations

    • Department of Anesthesia, San Ignacio Hospital, Bogota
    • ,
  • Ricardo Sanchez, MD, MSc

      Affiliations

    • National University School of Medicine, Bogota
    • ,
  • Carlos H. Rodriguez, MD

      Affiliations

    • Pain and Palliative Care Service, Colombian National Institute of Cancer, Bogota, Colombia
    • ,
  • Andres E. Restrepo, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Anesthesia, San Ignacio Hospital, Bogota
    • ,
  • Lina M. Ferrer, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Anesthesia, San Ignacio Hospital, Bogota
    • ,
  • Rene A. Linares, MD

      Affiliations

    • Pain and Palliative Care Service, Colombian National Institute of Cancer, Bogota, Colombia
    • ,
  • Daniel B. Carr, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Anesthesia, Tufts-New England Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts

,Accepted 4 August 2007.

  • Image Result

    Flow diagram of the study.

    Flow diagram of the study.

  • Image Result

    Pain intensity was similar for all groups throughout the study. Narrative group had 0.1 units higher pain intensity than the questionnaire group (95% CI −0.7, 0.5) and 0.02 units higher pain intensity

    Pain intensity was similar for all groups throughout the study. Narrative group had 0.1 units higher pain intensity than the questionnaire group (95% CI −0.7, 0.5) and 0.02 units higher pain intensity than the control group (95% CI −0.6, 0.5).

  • Image Result
    Patients with very high degree of emotional disclosure had lower levels of pain (average difference 2.5 units [95% CI −4.2, −0.9]) than patients with lower levels of emotional disclosure.

    Patients with very high degree of emotional disclosure had lower levels of pain (average difference 2.5 units [95% CI −4.2, −0.9]) than patients with lower levels of emotional disclosure.

 Support for this study was provided by the Saltonstall Fund for Pain Research and a small donation from Grunenthal.

PII: S0885-3924(08)00060-2

doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2007.08.011

Journal of Pain and Symptom Management
Volume 35, Issue 6 , Pages 623-631 , June 2008

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