MyKOA-Cope: the development of a culturally relevant integrative group psychological intervention for people with chronic knee osteoarthritis pain

Abstract

Introduction: Knee osteoarthritis is a highly prevalent musculoskeletal condition that causes chronic pain and psychological distress. The biological aspects of arthritis pain can be effectively managed with medication, physiotherapy and surgical procedures. However, no known psychological interventions to manage the psychological aspects of chronic pain have been developed in Sri Lanka.Objective: The study aimed to develop a culturally relevant integrative group psychological intervention for patients with chronic knee osteoarthritis pain.Methods: The first phase involved a literature review of existing psychological interventions on chronic pain management, which was used to develop a culturally relevant group psychological intervention named as “MyKOA-Cope: Psychological intervention for chronic knee osteoarthritis”. In the second phase, a Delphi study and a focus group discussion were conducted to evaluate the feasibility of the newly developed intervention.Results: The MyKOA-Cope is a six-session, in-person group intervention that lasts 45-50 minutes per session. These sessions include: 1) orientation to the intervention; 2) relaxation training; 3) exercise and pacing; pleasant activity scheduling; 4) identify negative automatic thoughts; 5) cognitive restructuring and calming selfstatements and 6) termination and maintenance strategies.Conclusion: The present study developed a culturally appropriate psychological intervention to enhance paincoping skills among patients with chronic knee osteoarthritis. This intervention has the potential to address the psychological aspects of chronic pain and contribute to the biomedical model. Future research can validate and tailor the MyKOA-Cope to suit the needs of patients with different illness conditions, literacy levels, and those who speak in Tamil in Sri Lanka.