Addressing Chronic Pain Among Rural Residents Engaging in Hazardous Drinking: A Mobile Health Intervention Pilot...

Chronic pain (CP) and hazardous/harmful drinking (HD) commonly co-occur. HD contributes to the onset and severity of CP, while CP severity predicts alcohol use disorder relapse. Integrated treatments for CP and HD are needed in rural areas, where CP and alcohol-related consequences occur at higher rates and treatment accessibility is lower. This study assessed the acceptability and feasibility of an app-based cognitive-behavioral intervention for CP and HD. Participants (n = 32) were rural residents reporting CP and HD (mean age = 49.81, SD = 8.79). Participants were randomized to intervention or assessment-only control. Self-report questionnaires at baseline and 12-week follow-up assessed program acceptability, pain, alcohol involvement, and functioning. Timely recruitment and low attrition (3.2%) supported procedure feasibility, while app engagement suggested intervention feasibility and acceptability. Descriptive statistics suggest reductions in pain (37% reduction in median pain in intervention group vs. 10% in control group). Changes in alcohol-related behavior were not consistent across outcomes and warrant further study (e.g., no change in median heavy drinking episodes in intervention, with 77% reduction in control; 60% reduction in alcohol consequences in intervention vs. 27% in control). This mobile intervention is feasible and acceptable for rural residents and may help address CP and functioning among those who engage in HD.