A Randomized Pilot Trial of a Novel Behavioral Intervention for Chronic Pain Tailored to Individuals with HIV

Jessica S. Merlin, Andrew O. Westfall, Dustin Long, Susan Davies, Michael Saag, William Demonte, Sarah Young, Robert D. Kerns, Matthew J. Bair, Stefan Kertesz, Janet M. Turan, Meredith Kilgore, Olivio J. Clay, Joanna Starrels, Dorothy Pekmezi, Mallory O. Johnson

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

23 Scopus citations

Abstract

Chronic pain is an important and understudied comorbidity in people living with HIV (PLWH). We conducted a pilot trial of Skills TO Manage Pain (STOMP), an innovative social cognitive theory-based pain self-management intervention tailored to PLWH, to assess feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy. Eligibility criteria included being HIV+, ≥ moderate pain for ≥ 3 months and a score of ≥ 4 on the three-item PEG pain severity and interference scale. Participants were randomized in a 1:1 fashion to STOMP or a usual care comparison. Among 22 participants randomized to STOMP, median session attendance was 9/12 (75%). Of 19 STOMP participants surveyed, 13 reported being “much better” overall since beginning treatment. Brief pain inventory-total scores decreased by 2 points in the intervention group and 0.9 in the control group (p = 0.11). STOMP is feasible, acceptable, and shows preliminary evidence of efficacy and promise for a full-scale trial.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)2733-2742
Number of pages10
JournalAIDS and Behavior
Volume22
Issue number8
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 1 2018

Keywords

  • HIV
  • Pain
  • Self-management
  • Social cognitive theory

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Social Psychology
  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
  • Infectious Diseases

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