Utilizing the Integrated Problem-Centered Metaframeworks Perspective to Help Families Cope with Chronic Physical Pain: A Case Illustration

Abstract

Chronic physical pain is one of the leading causes of psychological trauma and often results in depression, anxiety, and co-occurring mental health diagnoses. Psychological trauma is the fifth most common psychiatric disorder, the number one cause of suicide, and one of the leading causes of chronic physical pain. It is generally recognized that chronic pain involves psychological traumatic factors, whether as a manifestation of pain, or as a premorbid condition for pain (Grant, 2001). Since there are very few studies utilizing family therapy for treating the psychological trauma of chronic physical pain, our manuscript and case study illustrates the need for, and the importance of, developing systemic models such as the Integrated Problem-Centered Metaframeworks Perspective and the Systemic Inventory of Change—a self-report measure accompanying Integrated Problem-Centered Metaframeworks Perspective—that can assess, treat, and measure outcomes for family’s experiencing the psychological trauma of chronic pain.