The Application of Dialectical Behavior Therapy to Chronic Pain Management
Pain affects more than 50 million Americans annually, costs over 150 billion dollars each year in healthcare and legal expenses, and results in decreased work productivity and missed work days (Ballantyne, 2006; Boll, Raczynski, & Leviton, 2004; Thom, 2004). It is estimated that chronic pain negatively impacts 15% to 33% of the US population (Bokarius et al., 2008). Third-wave acceptance-based therapies, such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), have demonstrated significant improvements in mental health functioning for a variety of populations (Carmody & Baer, 2008; Cusens, Duggan, Thome, & Burch, 2010). DBT, one of the primary treatment modalities for Borderline Personality Disorder, is now being utilized to treat mental health disorders including, more recently, the psychological component of chronic pain (Fruzzetti & Shenk, 2008; Linton, 2010). The purpose of this research is to discuss the application of DBT in the psychotherapy of individuals who present with the psychological sequelae of chronic pain. This study results in an innovative and comprehensive group therapy manual that integrates DBT skills in the treatment of chronic pain.
Applied Behavior Analysis, Pain Management, Psychology, Vital and Health Statistics, Chronic pain -- Psychological aspects. Chronic pain -- Treatment; Chronic Pain -- psychology; Chronic Pain -- therapy; Pain Management; Behavior Therapy -- methods; Cognitive Therapy.; Dialectical behavior therapy.
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