Chronic pain management group psychotherapy for psychiatric inpatients: A pilot study

Individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) experience significant comorbid chronic pain (CP). Little is known about CP management in psychiatric inpatient settings. To address this gap in clinical practice, the authors developed CP management group psychotherapy for adult inpatients with SMI. In this report, the authors highlight (1) the theoretical underpinnings of and execution of the psychotherapy group, (2) the characteristics of participants in the pilot phase of the group, and (3) outcomes of group participants. Data were collected from 16 participants in the pain management psychotherapy group. The mean number of groups attended was two (SD = 1.7). Participants endorsed pain across five regions of the body with high pain intensity and severity. Improvements in depression, anxiety, somatic, and emotional regulation symptoms were evidenced during the course of treatment. CP group psychotherapy may be an effective modality to disseminate "best practices" and prevent diagnostic overshadowing for SMI patients.