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Emotional disclosure interventions for chronic pain: from the laboratory to the clinic

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Translational Behavioral Medicine

ABSTRACT

Life stress and the avoidance of negative emotions may contribute to chronic pain. The technique of written or spoken emotional disclosure can reverse emotional avoidance and improve health, and 18 randomized studies have tested it among people with chronic pain. We review these studies to provide guidance for the clinical use of this technique. The benefits of emotional disclosure for chronic pain are quite modest overall. Studies in rheumatoid arthritis show very limited effects, but two studies in fibromyalgia suggest that disclosure may be beneficial. Effects in other populations (headaches, cancer pain, pelvic pain, abdominal pain) are mixed. Moderator findings suggest that some patients are more likely to benefit than others. Emotional disclosure has been tested in well-controlled efficacy trials, leaving many unanswered questions related to translating this technique to practice. Issues needing further study include determining disclosure’s effects outside of randomized controlled trials, identifying the optimal pain populations and specific individuals to target for disclosure, presenting a valid rationale for disclosure, selecting the location and method of disclosure, and choosing between cognitive–behavioral or emotional disclosure techniques.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, 5057 Woodward Ave., 7th Floor, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA

    Mark A Lumley PhD, Elyse R Sklar BA & Jennifer N Carty BA

Authors
  1. Mark A Lumley PhD
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  2. Elyse R Sklar BA
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  3. Jennifer N Carty BA
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mark A Lumley PhD.

Additional information

Implications

Researchers: There are a number of methodological issues to consider in conducting emotional disclosure research with chronic pain populations, including method, location, and selection of participants.

Practitioners: Many patients with chronic pain have unresolved stressful experiences contributing to their pain, and emotional disclosure techniques can supplement other interventions for such patients.

Policymakers: Interventions such as emotional disclosure that encourage patients to process negative emotional experiences should be explored as one facet of multicomponent interventions.

Preparation of this article was supported, in part, by the National Institute of Health grants AR057808 and AR057047.

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Lumley, M.A., Sklar, E.R. & Carty, J.N. Emotional disclosure interventions for chronic pain: from the laboratory to the clinic. Behav. Med. Pract. Policy Res. 2, 73–81 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13142-011-0085-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13142-011-0085-4

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