3 - (SYM 57) Randomized Clinical Trial Evaluating the Algeapp, a Brief Avatar-guided Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Chronic Pain, Compared to an Active-intervention Control

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for the management of Chronic Pain (CP) is empirically supported. Increasing demands for cost reduction in healthcare services in addition to obstacles regarding physical access to treatment, highlight the need for innovative, cost-reducing, digital self-management interventions. Yet, there is a lack of brief empirically supported and grounded in sound psychotherapeutic theory digital interventions with minimum human contact, in the field of CP. The main purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the ALGEApp, a digital ACT-based intervention for CP compared to an active treatment-as-usual control group (psychoeducation and relaxation training) using a Randomized-Clinical trial methodology. Sixty-four chronic pain patients were randomly allocated to one of the two intervention groups. Primary outcomes were pain interference and quality of life; secondary outcomes included mood; and process measures of acceptance and psychological flexibility were also assessed at pre, post and follow ups (3- and 6-months post-intervention). Both groups significantly contributed to improvements on all outcomes from pre, to post, to follow-up. However, ALGEApp in both completer and intent-to-treat analysis demonstrated statistically significant improvements in pain acceptance and willingness to a greater extent than controls across time. Implications of findings for chronic pain management using brief, self-guided digital interventions that are grounded in sound theoretical and therapeutic approaches, will be discussed.

We hope to shed more light on the potential of brief and innovative planned-for-adherence digital interventions, on reaching and engaging users who may not have easy access to treatment, while providing a set of skills to help them manage their pain through a home-based self-care approach.