A Guided cognItive-behavioural selF-help Treatment for MS pain (GIFT)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Development and preliminary evaluation of a self-help programme for pain in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) using a case series design.
IRAS ID
157550
Contact name
Rona Moss-Morris
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Acting Director of Research Management, Director of Administration (Health Schools)
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 4 months, 30 days
Research summary
Pain affects around 63% of people with Multiple Sclerosis (pwMS) (Foley et al., 2013). MS pain is typically classified as either neuropathic or non-neuropathic in origin (O'Connor, Schwid, Herrmann, Markman, & Dworkin, 2008). Between 5% and 32% of pwMS regard pain as their most severe symptom (O'Connor et al., 2008). Current biomedical treatments demonstrate limited efficacy (Beard, Hunn, & Wight, 2003) and many pwMS experience uncontrollable pain (Kerns, Kassirer, & Otis, 2002).
The combination of our previous MS Society-funded pain research programme preclinical findings, along with current clinical evidence from the wider MS and chronic pain field, has informed the development of our theoretically-driven guided self-help intervention for MS-related pain. The content of the intervention manual draws on methods from cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) (Turk, Meichenbaum, & Genest, 1983) and contextual cognitive-behavioural therapy (CCBT) (McCracken, 2006). The current study will evaluate this intervention using a small phase I pilot case-series design. The intervention aims to address the negative psychological impact of MS pain by attempting to reduce pain severity, pain interference and generalized distress. Important psychological mechanisms of change will also be explored, including pwMS tendency to magnify or exaggerate the threat or seriousness of pain sensations (catastrophic thought processes), focus predominantly on pain reduction and do less activities in the presence of pain (non-acceptance), engage in greater avoidance of social activities, and perceive pain is uncontrollable and unpredictable, will persist and worsen over time and has serious consequences (pain/illness perceptions). This work aims to improve our understanding of MS pain by feeding back into our theoretical model, offering guidance for future research and informing NHS policy to enhance the quality of pain management treatments for pwMS.
REC name
London - Camden & Kings Cross Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/LO/1909
Date of REC Opinion
2 Dec 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion