Therapeutic Writing for Adults Suffering From Chronic Pain and Comorbid Mental Health Disorders (TWfCP&MH)

Toni Salikka

Status: Not yet enrolling

Conditions: Emotional Pain; Meaning of Life; Mental Health Disorder; Psychiatric Diagnosis; Psychiatric &Amp;Amp;or Mood Disorder; Emotional Distress; Chronic Pain; Comorbid Depression; Anxiety Disorders; Meaning Made; Process, Acceptance; Meaning of Life and Life Satisfaction; Sleep Disorder; Emotion Regulation; Psychiatric Comorbidities; Depressive Disorder; Emotional Processing

Treatments: Other: Therapeutic Writing Intervention in Pain Rehabilitation

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07058532

R25034

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goal of this observational study is to understand the effects and experiences of therapeutic writing interventions in adult women with chronic pain and co-occurring mental health conditions. The main questions it aims to answer are:

Can therapeutic writing help relieve chronic pain and emotional distress?

How does writing support emotional processing, regulation, and meaning-making during rehabilitation?

Participants will take part in a two-part writing intervention involving:

Guided writing exercises that focus on emotional processing, emotion regulation, and creating meaning.

Individual interviews after the writing sessions to explore their experiences.

The study uses qualitative analysis methods-phenomenology and logotherapy-to better understand how these writing interventions may support recovery, improve well-being, and offer non-pharmacological tools for managing chronic pain and mental health challenges.

Full description

Chronic pain affects approximately 20% of the global population and represents one of the most widespread causes of disability worldwide. Individuals living with chronic pain often experience additional mental health challenges-such as depression, anxiety, or trauma-related disorders-which compound their suffering and reduce quality of life. Traditional pain management strategies often focus on physical symptoms, while the emotional and psychological dimensions may remain under-addressed.

This study aims to explore the potential of therapeutic writing-a psychological intervention that encourages participants to express and process emotions through guided writing exercises-as a complementary approach for improving health and well-being in individuals with both chronic pain and mental health conditions.

The study is being conducted at the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation of Satasairaala Hospital in Finland and involves five adult female participants with chronic pain and comorbid psychiatric conditions. Each participant will engage in a two-part writing intervention that incorporates techniques grounded in emotional processing, emotion regulation, and meaning-making. These exercises are designed to help individuals articulate their internal experiences, explore the personal impact of pain and illness, and foster a sense of psychological coherence.

Data collection spans two sub-studies:

Sub-studies 1 and 2 involve qualitative interviews with participants following the intervention, capturing their firsthand experiences and perceived effects.

The qualitative data will be analyzed using a multi-method approach, combining phenomenological analysis-which highlights the participants' lived experiences-and logotherapy-informed analysis, which examines how therapeutic writing supports the search for meaning during rehabilitation. This dual approach provides a comprehensive view of how narrative expression may influence recovery pathways.

The ultimate goal is to identify writing-based strategies that can complement clinical care for this patient population and inform future updates to rehabilitation programs and treatment guidelines-both locally and nationally. If proven beneficial, therapeutic writing could serve as an accessible, cost-effective, and non-pharmacological tool to enhance holistic pain care and mental health support.

Enrollment: 5 estimated patients

Sex: Female

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Adult women (18 years or older), assigned female at birth and self-identify as women
• Diagnosed with or experience of chronic, widespread (non-cancer) pain lasting at least two years
• Diagnosed with or living with one or more mild mental health disorders (e.g., anxiety, mild depression), without current or past severe psychiatric conditions
• Diagnosed with or experience of nociplastic pain (e.g., fibromyalgia)
• Not currently using medications that may impair cognitive functioning (e.g., benzodiazepines, anticholinergics, opioids, antipsychotics)
• Able to attend approximately 11 in-person visits over a 3-month period
• Willing and able to participate in a structured therapeutic writing intervention
• Purposefully selected to reflect a range of lived experiences relevant to the study's aims

Exclusion criteria

• Presence of severe mental health disorders (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, severe depression, or other psychotic conditions)
• Use of medications known to impair memory, attention, or decision-making (e.g., benzodiazepines, anticholinergics, opioids, antipsychotics)
• Participation in other concurrent treatments that may influence study outcomes
• Cognitive limitations that would hinder meaningful engagement in the writing intervention
• Individuals not assigned female at birth or who do not identify as women

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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5 participants in 1 patient group

Therapeutic Writing Intervention in Pain Rehabilitation

Experimental group

Description:

Participants in this single-arm study will take part in a structured therapeutic writing intervention as part of a multidisciplinary pain rehabilitation program at the Pain Clinic of Satasairaala Hospital. The study spans approximately three months and includes around 11 clinic visits. The intervention is delivered in two phases: first, four consecutive daily writing sessions (20 minutes each), followed by four weekly sessions (30-60 minutes each). Prior to the intervention, participants are assessed for eligibility by the clinic's multidisciplinary team and interviewed by the principal investigator. Post-intervention, participants are interviewed twice to explore their health-related experiences with the writing process.

Treatment:

Other: Therapeutic Writing Intervention in Pain Rehabilitation