A prospective evaluation of the Chronic Pain Self-Management Programme in a Danish population of chronic pain patients

Abstract

ObjectiveThis study evaluates the feasibility and changes in pain, pain cognition, and distress during a patient education course and a 5-month follow-up period. The Chronic Pain Self-Management Programme (CPSMP) is a lay-led patient education consisting of six manualized sessions. MethodsA Danish adaptation of the CPSMP was tested in four municipalities. The sample consisted of 74 women and 13 men between 26 and 80 years with a long pain history (+10 years). Participants completed questionnaires before the CPSMP, immediately after and 5 months after the program. ResultsThe study showed that the Danish version of the CPSMP was feasible. The sample was heterogeneous with respect to age, education, duration and causes of pain but all participants reported serious pain and most experienced high levels of distress and disability. Participants evaluated the CPSMP as satisfying and more than 75% would recommend the program to other patients. Participants showed significant improvements on pain, disability, catastrophizing, depression, anxiety, and health worry, and changes were stable through the follow-up period. ConclusionA consistent pattern of stable improvements in pain, pain cognition and distress was observed but the scope of changes was modest. Practice implicationsThe Danish version of the CPSMP is feasible.