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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain

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The Massachusetts General Hospital Handbook of Behavioral Medicine

Part of the book series: Current Clinical Psychiatry ((CCPSY))

Abstract

Chronic pain represents a challenge for both the individual and the society, in that it is associated with psychological distress, disability, loss of work, and increased health care costs. Over the last few decades, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has become the treatment of choice within multidisciplinary rehabilitation treatments and outpatient psychiatric departments, for individuals with chronic pain problems of all types. In this chapter, we discuss cognitive behavioral strategies for management of chronic pain in outpatient behavioral medicine settings. First, we discuss the development of the CBT model for pain. Next, we briefly discuss the most common comorbid psychological factors associated with chronic pain and summarize the efficacy of CBT for chronic pain. The main focus of the chapter includes a review of specific behavioral, cognitive, physiological, and pain-specific modules for pain management, while encouraging the development of a patient-centered treatment plans consistent with patient presentation and goals. These principles are viewed in the context of a case description.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Behavioral Medicine Service, Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Brain Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, 02174, USA

    Ana-Maria Vranceanu Ph.D.

  2. Pain Medicine and Anesthesia, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, 02114, USA

    Melissa Stone & Ronald Kulich

  3. Behavioral Medicine Service, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Tim Wallace

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  1. Ana-Maria Vranceanu Ph.D.
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  2. Melissa Stone
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  3. Tim Wallace
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  4. Ronald Kulich
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Correspondence to Ana-Maria Vranceanu Ph.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry Behavioral Medicine Service, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Ana-Maria Vranceanu

  2. Dept. of Psychiatric Oncology & Behavior, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Ce, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Joseph A. Greer

  3. Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Steven A. Safren

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Vranceanu, AM., Stone, M., Wallace, T., Kulich, R. (2017). Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain. In: Vranceanu, AM., Greer, J., Safren, S. (eds) The Massachusetts General Hospital Handbook of Behavioral Medicine. Current Clinical Psychiatry. Humana Press, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29294-6_5

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