A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Sources of Meaning Card Method: A New Meaning-Oriented Approach Predicts Depression, Anxiety, Pain Acceptance, and Crisis of Meaning in Patients with Chronic Pain

Abstract

Abstract Objective Although considered the first-line psychological treatment for chronic pain, cognitive behavioral therapy has recently been criticized as being too limited, insufficient, and sometimes ineffective in the treatment of patients with chronic pain. Moreover, important existential perspectives are sparsely or not at all integrated into cognitive behavioral therapy. We therefore propose to complement chronic pain treatment with a meaning-based intervention, the Sources of Meaning Card Method (SoMeCaM). This study tested its efficacy. Design A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 42 patients with chronic pain. The trial compared an intervention group (standard care and participation in the SoMeCaM, a meaning-oriented approach) with a control group (standard care). We evaluated both groups at baseline and at 1 (t1) and 2 months (t2) after the intervention. The primary outcome assessed was pain acceptance, while depression, anxiety, pain intensity, pain medication, satisfaction with life, meaningfulness, and crisis of meaning were examined as secondary outcomes. Results Comparisons within and between groups showed significant treatment effects at t1. Higher increases in pain acceptance and decreases in anxiety, depression, and crisis of meaning were observed in the intervention group. Improvements in pain acceptance and anxiety persisted until t2, when pain intensity was also lower. Effect sizes at t2 were medium to large. Conclusion Our preliminary work demonstrates the importance of the existential perspective in chronic pain therapy.