Evaluation of the effectiveness of a chronic pain management programme

Thirty-two chronic pain patients classified as dysfunc~onal (N=lS);
interpersonally distressed (N=9); or adaptive copers (N=8) on the West
Haven-Yale Multidimensional Pain Inventory were evaluated before and
aftera 3.5 week outpatient multimodal chronic pain management programme.
Five patients also participated in a post-treatment focus group in which they
gave accounts of their experiences of the programme. The three groups,
which were demographically similar, did not differ in their response to the
programme. There was an overall significant reduction (p<.Ol) in mean
depression scores on the Beck Depression Inventory and a near significant
reduction (p<.08) in mean scores on the functional limitations subscale of
the Functional Limitations Profile when pre- and post-treatment scores
were compared. There was no significant reduction in McGill Pain
Questionnaire scores. A thematic content analysis of the focus group
transcript showed that patients experienced ~he programme as improving
their mood. their capacity to cope with pain and their interpersonal adjustment. ,
Both formal features of the programme such as education and physiotherapy
and informal aspects of the programme such as social support from other
partiCipants were perceived as contributing to improvement.