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Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Chronic Non-Malignant Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial

NCT07709572 · Status: ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 60

Last updated 2026-07-16

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

This study is evaluating whether Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps adults with chronic non-malignant pain (pain lasting 3 months or longer that is not caused by cancer). Sixty adult participants (ages 18-60) were randomly placed into one of three groups: ACT, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), or Treatment as Usual (TAU, standard medical care only). Both ACT and CBT are delivered over 10 weekly sessions by a trained therapist. ACT focuses on helping people accept pain-related thoughts and feelings, become less controlled by unhelpful thinking patterns, and take action toward things that matter to them despite pain. CBT focuses on changing unhelpful thoughts about pain and building coping skills such as pacing and relaxation. The TAU group continues usual medical care without added psychological treatment. Participants complete questionnaires before and after treatment measuring pain intensity, pain acceptance, pain-related disability, psychological flexibility, catastrophic thinking about pain, anxiety, depression, and quality of life. The goal is to find out whether ACT works as well as, or better than, CBT, and whether either treatment works better than standard care alone.

Conditions

  • Chronic Non-Malignant Pain (Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain, Chronic Widespread Pain)

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

A 10-session, manual-based psychological intervention targeting psychological flexibility through acceptance, cognitive defusion, present-moment awareness, self-as-context, values clarification, and committed action, delivered weekly by a trained therapist.

BEHAVIORAL

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

A 10-session, manual-based psychological intervention targeting maladaptive pain-related cognitions and behaviors through cognitive restructuring, behavioral activation, activity pacing, relaxation training, problem-solving, and coping skills, delivered weekly by a trained therapist.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • GIFT University

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Ather Mujitaba, Phd · GIFT University

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
60 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2026-05-13
Primary Completion
2026-07-26
Completion
2026-07-31

Countries

  • Pakistan

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07709572 on ClinicalTrials.gov