Therapeutic Writing for Adults Suffering From Chronic Pain and Comorbid Mental Health Disorders

Summary

The goal of this observational study is to understand the effects and experiences of therapeutic writing interventions in adult women with chronic pain and co-occurring mental health conditions. The main questions it aims to answer are:

Can therapeutic writing help relieve chronic pain and emotional distress?

How does writing support emotional processing, regulation, and meaning-making during rehabilitation?

Participants will take part in a two-part writing intervention involving:

Guided writing exercises that focus on emotional processing, emotion regulation, and creating meaning.

Individual interviews after the writing sessions to explore their experiences.

The study uses qualitative analysis methods-phenomenology and logotherapy-to better understand how these writing interventions may support recovery, improve well-being, and offer non-pharmacological tools for managing chronic pain and mental health challenges.

Conditions

• Chronic Pain
• Mental Health Disorder
• Psychiatric &Amp;Amp;or Mood Disorder
• Psychiatric Comorbidities
• Psychiatric Diagnosis
• Emotional Pain
• Emotional Distress
• Emotion Regulation
• Emotional Processing
• Meaning of Life
• Meaning Made
• Meaning of Life and Life Satisfaction
• Depressive Disorder
• Anxiety Disorders
• Sleep Disorder
• Comorbid Depression
• Process, Acceptance

Interventions

OTHER

Therapeutic Writing Intervention in Pain Rehabilitation

The therapeutic writing intervention is designed to support emotional processing and regulation in individuals with chronic pain and comorbid mental health disorders. It has been developed specifically for use in a clinical rehabilitation setting and is delivered in two phases over a four-week period at the Pain Clinic of Satasairaala Hospital. Sessions are conducted in person, with clinical staff available to support participants. The intervention is non-pharmacological, low-risk, and integrated into the broader multidisciplinary care pathway.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Toni Salikka

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

FEMALE

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-08-31

Primary Completion

2026-04-30

Completion

2026-04-30

Countries

• Finland

Study Locations