MobACT: An Internet-Based Intervention for Chronic Pain Patients

Summary

Chronic Pain (CP) is a condition characterized by pain lasting or recurring for more than three months, often accompanied by emotional distress and difficulties in daily functioning. CP represents a major burden for individuals and healthcare systems due to its impact on quality of life, healthcare utilization, and work productivity. Traditional treatments, such as pharmacological and surgical approaches, frequently provide insufficient relief, highlighting the need for complementary interventions.

Among psychological approaches, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) has shown promising results for CP management. ACT aims to increase psychological flexibility by helping individuals accept pain as part of their experience while engaging in meaningful, value-based activities. Rather than focusing exclusively on symptom reduction, ACT promotes emotional well-being, functioning, and quality of life. However, access to psychological interventions remains limited because of barriers such as long waiting lists, geographical distance, physical limitations, stigma, and limited availability of trained professionals.

Digital health interventions, particularly internet-delivered self-help programs, may help overcome these barriers by providing flexible, accessible, and cost-effective support. Previous research suggests that ACT can be effectively adapted to online formats, allowing broader dissemination and increased accessibility for individuals with CP.

The present study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a guided internet-delivered ACT-based self-help intervention for individuals with CP. The intervention seeks to support pain acceptance, improve quality of life, and promote engagement in valued activities. The study will also explore potential psychological mechanisms underlying treatment outcomes and assess the cost-effectiveness of the intervention to evaluate its potential implementation within public healthcare systems.

Conditions

• Chronic Pain

Interventions

OTHER

Internet-based intervention

Participants allocated to the experimental group will be asked to complete one module per week, each based on the core principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). The treatment program consists of seven modules delivered weekly over a total duration of seven weeks. The content of the modules will cover the following topics: 1. Creative hopelessness 2. Willingness and acceptance of pain 3. Defusion from negative thoughts 4. Committed action and values 5. Values and goal setting 6. Willingness exercises 7. Maintenance of learned strategies.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Linkoeping University

  collaborator OTHER_GOV

• Catholic University of the Sacred Heart

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Gianluca Castelnuovo, Ph.D. · Catholic University of Sacred Heart of Milan

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-10-01

Primary Completion

2027-04-30

Completion

2027-10-30

Countries

• Italy
• Sweden

Study Locations