Group Music Therapy for Chronic Pain Management in Active Duty Service Members
Purpose
This randomized controlled trial will evaluate the effectiveness of an 8-week group music therapy intervention for active duty service members with chronic pain. Participants will be randomized to either a group music therapy intervention plus standard care or standard care alone. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline, post- treatment (8 weeks), and 1-month follow-up. Primary outcomes include pain interference and pain intensity. Secondary outcomes include pain-related self-efficacy, depression, anxiety, positive affect, sleep disturbance, patient perception of change, and pain medication use. Qualitative interviews will be conducted with a subset of participants who receive music therapy to explore subjective experiences and perceived treatment benefits.
Condition
- Chronic Pain
Eligibility
- Eligible Ages
- Between 18 Years and 64 Years
- Eligible Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria
- Active duty service member - Age 18 -64 years of age - Diagnosis of chronic benign pain for at least 3 months - Average pain severity greater than 4/10 on the Defense and Veterans Pain Rating Scale - Able to read and understand English
Exclusion Criteria
- Pregnancy - Mental health conditions that would prevent compliance with or productive participation in group sessions - Cognitive impairment preventing completion of study measures - Malignant disease - Progressive neurological disorder - Moderate to profound hearing impairment not corrected with hearing aids - Previous participation in music therapy services at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER)
Study Design
- Phase
- Phase 2
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel Assignment
- Primary Purpose
- Treatment
- Masking
- None (Open Label)
- Masking Description
- Statistician will be masked
Arm Groups
| Arm | Description | Assigned Intervention |
|---|---|---|
|
Experimental Group Music Therapy + Standard Care |
Participants will receive eight weekly 75-minute group music therapy sessions in addition to standard pain management care. Sessions include music-guided breathing, relaxation exercises, group improvisation, music listening, discussion, and music-based pain self-management training. |
|
|
No Intervention Standard Care |
Participants will receive standard pain management services available at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. These may include medication management, physical therapy, acupuncture, cognitive behavioral therapy, and interventional pain procedures. |
|
Recruiting Locations
Anchorage, Alaska 99505
More Details
- Status
- Recruiting
- Sponsor
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine
Detailed Description
Chronic pain is a significant health concern among military personnel and veterans and is associated with disability and reduced quality of life. Music therapy is a non-pharmacological intervention that may address biological, psychological, and social factors contributing to chronic pain. This mixed-methods research study embeds qualitative inquiry within a randomized controlled trial. A total of 130 active duty service members with chronic pain will be randomized 1:1 to either an 8-week group music therapy intervention plus standard care or standard care alone. The music therapy intervention consists of eight weekly 75-minute sessions delivered in groups of 6-8 participants and includes music-guided breathing, music-based relaxation exercises, group improvisation, verbal processing, listening to meaningful music, and instruction in music-based pain self-management strategies. Primary outcomes are pain interference and pain intensity. Secondary outcomes include pain-related self-efficacy, depression, anxiety, positive affect, sleep disturbance, patient global impression of change, disability, and pain medication use. Outcomes will be evaluated at baseline, week 8, and 1-month follow-up. Semi-structured interviews will be conducted with approximately 20 participants from the music therapy arm after follow-up assessment to explore treatment experiences and perceived benefits