It is changing lives.
A new study suggests that emotional awareness and expression therapy (EAET) may be more effective than the widely used cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in treating chronic pain among older adults, particularly U.S. veterans. Published in JAMA Network Open, the research found that veterans receiving EAET reported more sustained and significant reductions in chronic pain compared to those undergoing CBT.
According to the study, 63% of veterans undergoing EAET experienced at least a 30% reduction in pain, a clinically significant improvement, whereas only 17% of those receiving CBT achieved similar relief. Furthermore, the benefits of EAET persisted six months post-treatment for 41% of participants, compared to 14% in the CBT group.
In addition to pain relief, EAET participants reported improvements in anxiety, depression, PTSD symptoms, and overall life satisfaction, highlighting the therapy’s broader psychological benefits.
Lead researcher Brandon Yarns, from UCLA Health’s Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, emphasized that while many chronic pain sufferers primarily consider medication or physical treatments, psychotherapy like EAET has shown evidence-based effectiveness. He noted that the key difference between EAET and CBT lies in their approaches: CBT focuses on enhancing pain tolerance and managing pain triggers, whereas EAET addresses emotional responses to stress, which can influence pain perception.
EAET encourages patients to confront and express their emotional reactions to stressors, helping them to process and ultimately alleviate emotional burdens. Yarns explained that by engaging with these emotions in therapy, patients can release negative feelings such as anger and guilt, fostering self-compassion and emotional healing.
The study involved 126 veterans aged 60 to 90, all experiencing chronic pain, with a significant portion also diagnosed with psychiatric conditions like PTSD. Half received CBT, and the other half underwent EAET, both in-person. Future research aims to explore the efficacy of virtual therapy sessions and investigate brain changes associated with EAET and CBT through brain imaging studies.
The findings underscore the importance of considering psychotherapeutic approaches, particularly EAET, in treating chronic pain among older adults and veterans, offering promising avenues for managing pain and improving overall well-being.
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