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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

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

ArmDescriptionAssigned 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.
  • Behavioral: Music intervention
    An 8-week standardized music therapy protocol delivered in weekly 75-minute group sessions. The intervention is guided by a biopsychosocial framework and includes music-guided breathing, relaxation exercises, group improvisation, processing of music experiences, meaningful music listening, and home practice of music-based pain management skills.
    Other names:
    • Group Music Therapy
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.
  • Behavioral: Music intervention
    An 8-week standardized music therapy protocol delivered in weekly 75-minute group sessions. The intervention is guided by a biopsychosocial framework and includes music-guided breathing, relaxation exercises, group improvisation, processing of music experiences, meaningful music listening, and home practice of music-based pain management skills.
    Other names:
    • Group Music Therapy

Recruiting Locations

Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER)
Anchorage, Alaska 99505
Contact:
Earl J Banning, PsyD
9075800014
earl.j.banning.mil@health.mil

More Details

Status
Recruiting
Sponsor
Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine

Study Contact

Joke Bradt, PhD
2673595508
jbradt@drexel.edu

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

Notice

Study information shown on this site is derived from ClinicalTrials.gov (a public registry operated by the National Institutes of Health). The listing of studies provided is not certain to be all studies for which you might be eligible. Furthermore, study eligibility requirements can be difficult to understand and may change over time, so it is wise to speak with your medical care provider and individual research study teams when making decisions related to participation.