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Although strong evidence exists for using individual hypnosis to treat pain, evidence regarding group applications is limited. This project evaluated changes in multiple outcome measures in persons with chronic pain treated with 8 weeks of group hypnosis. Eighty-five adults with diverse chronic pain etiologies completed an 8-session, structured group hypnosis treatment. Pain intensity, pain interference, and global health were evaluated at baseline, posttreatment, and 3- and 6-months posttreatment. Linear mixed effects models assessed changes in outcomes over time. In a model testing, all three outcome measures simultaneously, participants improved substantially from pre- to posttreatment and maintained improvement across follow-up. Analyses of individual outcomes showed significant pre- to posttreatment reductions in pain intensity and interference, which were maintained for pain intensity and continued to improve for pain interference across follow-up. The findings provide compelling preliminary evidence that a group format is an effective delivery system for teaching individual skills in using hypnosis for chronic pain management. Larger randomized controlled trials are warranted to demonstrate equivalence of outcomes between treatment modes.

Three categories of pain mechanisms are recognized as contributing to pain perception: nociceptive, neuropathic, and nociplastic (ie, central nervous system augmented pain processing). We use validated questionnaires to identify pain mechanisms in Urologic Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome (UCCPS) patients (n = 568, female = 378, male = 190) taking part in the Symptom Patterns Study of the Multidisciplinary Approach to the study of chronic Pelvic Pain Research Network. A cutoff score of 12 on the painDETECT questionnaire (-1 to 38) was used to classify patients into the neuropathic category while the median score of 7 on the fibromyalgia survey criteria (0-31) was used to classify patients into the nociplastic category. Categories were compared on demographic, clinical, psychosocial, psychophysical and medication variables. At baseline, 43% of UCPPS patients were classified as nociceptive-only, 8% as neuropathic only, 27% as nociceptive+nociplastic, and 22% as neuropathic+nociplastic. Across outcomes nociceptive-only patients had the least severe symptoms and neuropathic+nociplastic patients the most severe. Neuropathic pain was associated with genital pain and/or sensitivity on pelvic exam, while nociplastic pain was associated with comorbid pain conditions, psychosocial difficulties, and increased pressure pain sensitivity outside the pelvis. A self-report method classifying individuals on pain mechanisms reveals clinical differences that could inform clinical trials and novel targets for treatment. PERSPECTIVE: This article presents differences in clinical characteristics based on a simple self-report method of classifying pain mechanisms for Urologic Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome patients. This method can be easily applied to other chronic pain conditions and may be useful for exploring pathophysiology in pain subtypes.

AIMS There is little information on how often or within what contexts individuals with OAB use compensatory behaviors ("coping") to manage symptoms. We sought to examine how frequently women with OAB report using coping behaviors and whether these are associated with psychosocial factors. METHODS One hundred twenty adult women with OAB completed the OAB questionnaire (OAB-q), ICIQ-FLUTS questionnaire, PROMIS Anxiety and Depression, Perceived Stress Scale, patient perception of bladder condition, and demographic and clinical data. Responses from five items from the OAB-q Quality-of-Life scale asking about coping with OAB symptoms (i.e., "compensatory coping behaviors") were summed to generate a total Coping Score. Linear regression was used to identify associations between individual coping behaviors, total Coping Scores, and exposure variables. RESULTS Most (88%) subjects reported using at least one compensatory coping behavior at least "a little of the time," with "locating the nearest restroom in a new place" the most frequent. Higher BMI, lower education, using OAB medication, and urgency incontinence as well as urinary symptom severity were all associated with higher coping scores. Beyond the influence of OAB severity, higher anxiety (β = 0.15, 95% CI [0.05-0.26], p = 0.004) and stress (β = 0.16 [0.03-0.25], p = 0.02) were significantly associated with higher total coping scores, although depression was not. CONCLUSIONS Compensatory bladder behaviors (coping) were common in women with OAB and were associated with greater urinary symptom severity and higher anxiety and stress. Further study is needed to understand how coping behaviors and psychosocial factors relate, as these may represent important opportunities for interventions.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Individuals with chronic pain are significantly more likely to have experienced overwhelming trauma early and often in key developmental years. There is increasing acknowledgment that childhood trauma disrupts how individuals process and cope with both physical and emotional pain. Emerging studies acknowledge elevated rates of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in chronic pain populations. This review provides a theoretical framework to understand the relationship between NSSI behavior and pain experience in persons with chronic pain and childhood trauma histories. We discuss how NSSI may act to regulate neurobiological (e.g., endogenous opioid systems) and psychological (e.g., heightened negative affect and emotion dysregulation) systems affected by childhood trauma, leading to temporary pain relief and a cycle of negative reinforcement perpetuating NSSI. As these concepts are greatly understudied in pain populations, this review focuses on key areas relevant to chronic pain that may provide a testable, conceptual framework to support hypothesis generation, future empirical investigation, and intervention efforts. RECENT FINDINGS: See Fig. 1. SUMMARY: See Fig. 1.

Objective The aim of this study was to implement clinical hypnosis (CH) as an adjunctive therapy for adolescents with Crohn's disease (CD) and to assess the impact of CH on quality of life (QoL), abdominal pain, psychosocial measures, and disease activity compared with standard care. Methods Forty adolescents with CD were randomized to a hypnosis intervention (HI) or waitlist control (WC) group. The intervention consisted of 1 in-person CH session, self-hypnosis education, and recordings for home practice. Data was collected at baseline, after the 8-week intervention, and at week 16. The primary outcome was patient- and parent-reported QoL; secondary outcomes were patient-reported abdominal pain, depression, anxiety, and sleep; school absences; and disease activity by Pediatric Crohn's Disease Activity Index. Paired and independent t-tests were used to compare differences from baseline to postintervention within and between groups. Results Forty patients (50% girls, mean 15.8 years) were enrolled from February to May 2019. Seventy-eight percent had inactive disease, and 55% had abdominal pain. Post intervention, significant improvements were noted in HI parent-reported QoL compared with WC in total score (P = 0.05), social functioning (P = 0.01), and school functioning (P = 0.04) but patient-reported QoL was unchanged. Abdominal pain severity significantly improved in HI compared with WC (P = 0.03). School absences decreased in significantly more intervention than control patients (P = 0.01). Patients who practiced self-hypnosis consistently showed a trend toward greater QoL improvement than those who did not (P = 0.1). Conclusions CH is an acceptable and feasible adjunct in CD and may improve psychosocial QoL and abdominal pain. Further research is warranted.

Chronic pain not only has the greatest negative effect on quality of life compared with other chronic health problems but also contributes to the greatest disability worldwide. Management of chronic neuropathic pain is particularly challenging given its association with other pain processes, the fact that less than half of patients respond to a single pain medication, and the lack of evidence regarding combination therapy (i.e. a treatment regimen that combines several scheduled pain medications) safety and efficacy. Given these challenges, there is a growing interest in the application of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies such as yoga, acupuncture, and hypnosis. We present the case of a 67-year-old male with severe diabetic neuropathy refractory to first, second, and third-line treatments. His disabling pain precipitated premature retirement, contributing to severe depression with suicidality requiring hospitalization. Ultimately, he experienced relief through an integrative health regimen, and he identified hypnosis as the most effective therapy for his pain. Through individual and group sessions, recordings, and daily self-hypnosis, he improved both his chronic pain symptomatology and quality of life, simultaneously decreasing opioid use. Simulation modeling analysis of his pain ratings over time showed that they reliably decreased after engaging in hypnosis

The current investigation sought to clarify mechanisms of treatment effects in mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR). Self-compassion and mindful awareness were assessed first as dispositional influences and then as mediators of outcome in unique models. One hundred thirty individuals participating in the 8-week MBSR intervention were recruited (73.08% female, mean age = 46.97, SD = 14.07). Measures of psychosocial well-being (Brief Stress Inventory [BSI], Perceived Stress Scale-10 [PSS]), mindful awareness (Mindful Awareness and Attention Scale [MAAS]), and self-compassion (Self-Compassion Scale [SCS]) were collected at preintervention and postintervention. Regression was conducted to examine the influence of baseline MAAS and SCS on change in PSS and BSI scores. Serial multiple mediator models were conducted separately with pre/postintervention BSI and PSS values as criterion, and preintervention/postintervention MAAS and SCS values as mediators. Higher levels of baseline self-compassion were predictive of greater reductions in PSS scores (β = 0.16). Reductions in BSI scores were serially mediated by change in self-compassion both directly (MBSR → ΔSCS → ΔBSI β = 0.06) and indirectly through mindful awareness (MBSR → ΔMAAS → ΔSCS → ΔBSI β = 0.09). Results provide support for the role of self-compassion as both a predictor of treatment effect and a process through which MBSR operates. Mechanisms underlying MBSR effects appear to be unique to the outcome of interest.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Trauma and posttraumatic stress are common among individuals with chronic pain and contribute to increased morbidity and impairment. Individuals with trauma and chronic pain may be prone to non-suicidal self-injury, a relatively common yet risky self-regulatory behavior. There is a dearth of research on the intersection of trauma, chronic pain, and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). We conducted a systematic review of the extant literature. RECENT FINDINGS: Five quantitative and eight case reports were identified. Only one quantitative study reported specifically on NSSI. Self-harm rates varied across studies, though appeared elevated among patients with chronic pain. Childhood trauma was linked to this co-occurrence. SUMMARY: Causal links between trauma, NSSI, and pain are proposed, highlighting the need for a comprehensive theoretical model. We recommend assessing for childhood trauma when treating patients with chronic pain and querying regarding NSSI when patients present with indicators of NSSI risk and to treat or refer such patients to specialized treatment.

Objective Neuropathic pain is complex and often refractory. Clinical hypnosis has emerged as a viable treatment for pain. This scoping review is the first comprehensive review of hypnosis for chronic neuropathic pain. It critically assesses available evidence noting practice implications, literature gaps, and future research opportunities. Subjects Individuals with chronic neuropathic pain treated with hypnosis. Methods Following PRISMA guidelines, we searched PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, and PsycInfo for studies for which the intervention and primary outcome(s) were associated with hypnosis and neuropathic pain, respectively. Included studies were empirical, in English, and published from January 1996 to August 2021. Results Nine articles with 301 total participants were reviewed. Neuropathic pain included, for example, complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), brachial neuralgia, and spinal cord injury. Hypnosis dose varied with administration and format. Six studies used comparators. Every trial demonstrated pain and quality-of-life benefits, with several controlled trials indicating hypnosis as superior to active comparator or standard of care. CRPS-specific studies showed notable improvements but had significant study limitations. Methodological weaknesses involved trial design, endpoints, and recruitment strategies. Conclusions The evidence is weak because of poor study design, yet encouraging both for analgesia and functional restoration in hard-to-treat chronic neuropathic pain conditions. We highlight and discuss key knowledge gaps and identify particular diagnoses with promising outcomes after hypnosis treatment. This review illustrates the need for further empirical controlled research regarding hypnosis for chronic neuropathic pain and provides suggestions for future studies.

OBJECTIVE Patients with fibromyalgia (FM) are 10 times more likely to die by suicide than the general population. The purpose of this study was to externally validate published models predicting suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in patients with FM and to identify interpretable risk and protective factors for suicidality unique to FM. METHODS This was a case-control study of large-scale electronic health record data collected from 1998 to 2017, identifying FM cases with validated Phenotype KnowledgeBase criteria. Model performance was measured through discrimination, including the receiver operating area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity, and through calibration, including calibration plots. Risk factors were selected by L1 penalized regression with bootstrapping for both outcomes. Secondary utilization analyses converted time-based billing codes to equivalent minutes to estimate face-to-face provider contact. RESULTS We identified 8,879 patients with FM, with 34 known suicide attempts and 96 documented cases of suicidal ideation. External validity was good for both suicidal ideation (AUC 0.80) and attempts (AUC 0.82) with excellent calibration. Risk factors specific to suicidal ideation included polysomatic symptoms such as fatigue (odds ratio [OR] 1.29 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.25-1.32]), dizziness (OR 1.25 [95% CI 1.22-1.28]), and weakness (OR 1.17 [95% CI 1.15-1.19]). Risk factors specific to suicide attempt included obesity (OR 1.18 [95% CI 1.10-1.27]) and drug dependence (OR 1.15 [95% CI 1.12-1.18]). Per utilization analyses, those patients with FM and no suicidal ideation spent 3.5 times more time in follow-up annually, and those without documented suicide attempts spent more than 40 times more time face-to-face with providers annually. CONCLUSION This is the first study to successfully apply machine learning to reliably detect suicidality in patients with FM, identifying novel risk factors for suicidality and highlighting outpatient engagement as a protective factor against suicide.

OBJECTIVE: Evidence supports high rates of co-occurrence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and chronic pain disorders involving central sensitization (CS). The nature of this relationship, however, remains relatively unexplored. In this study, we aimed to (1) assess how both trauma exposure and current PTSD symptoms are related to clinical manifestations of CS, and (2) test whether PTSD symptoms explain the relationship between trauma exposure and CS. Because experiential avoidance has been shown to impact the relationship between trauma and health outcomes, we (3) explored experiential avoidance as a possible mediator or moderator of the trauma-CS relationship. METHODS: A sample of 202 adult patients (79% female) with chronic pain completed validated self-report measures of trauma exposure, current PTSD symptoms, experiential avoidance, and three manifestations of CS: widespread pain, greater pain severity, and polysomatic symptom reporting. We used path analysis and multivariate regression to assess our study aims. RESULTS: Both trauma exposure and PTSD symptoms were significantly associated with all three clinical indicators of CS. PTSD symptoms partially explained the relationship between trauma exposure and widespread pain, pain intensity, and polysomatic symptoms. Experiential avoidance did not mediate or moderate the trauma-CS relationship. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that trauma exposure is linked to elevated clinical markers of CS, but a critical factor in this relationship is the mediating effect of current PTSD symptoms.

Background: Integrative health is an expanding field that is increasingly called upon by conventional medicine to provide care for patients with chronic pain and disease. Although evidence has mounted for delivering integrative therapies individually, there is little consensus on how best to deliver these therapies in tandem as part of whole person care. While many models exist, few are financially sustainable. Methods and results: This article describes a conceptual and logistical model for providing integrative outpatient health care within an academic medical center or hospital system to patients with chronic pain and disease. In hopes that the model will be replicated, administrative details are provided to explain how the model operates and has been maintained over nine years. The details include the intentional building of a particular work culture. Conclusion: This whole person care model that addresses chronic pain and disease in an outpatient integrative clinic has been successful, sustainable and can be replicated in other academic medical centers or hospital clinics.

Objective To examine the impact of educational materials for chronic overlapping pain conditions (COPCs), the feasibility of delivering materials online, and to explore its impact on self-reported self-management applications at 3-month follow-up. Design Prospective cohort study Setting Online Subjects Individuals from a university-wide active research repository with ≥1 coded diagnostic COPC by ICD-9/10 in the medical record. Methods We determined the number of COPCs per participant as indicated by diagnostic codes in the medical record. Consenting participants completed self-report questionnaires and read educational materials. We assessed content awareness and knowledge pre- and post-exposure to education. Comprehension was assessed via embedded questions in reading materials in real time. Participants then completed assessments regarding concept retention, self-management engagement, and pain-related symptoms at 3-months. Results N = 216 individuals enrolled, with 181 (84%) completing both timepoints. Results indicated that participants understood materials. Knowledge and understanding of COPCs increased significantly after education and was retained at 3-months. Patient characteristics suggested the number of diagnosed COPCs was inversely related to age. Symptoms or self-management application did not change significantly over the 3-month period. Conclusions The educational materials facilitated teaching of key pain concepts in self-management programs, which translated easily into an electronic format. Education alone may not elicit self-management engagement or symptom reduction in this population; however, conclusions are limited by the study’s uncontrolled design. Education is likely an important and meaningful first step in comprehensive COPC self-management.

Positive patient care and healthcare facility outcomes are associated with using various psychological interventions during magnetic resonance imaging and interventional radiology procedures. Interventions such as hypnosis, relaxation, guided imagery, and empathic communication can improve anxiety, pain, and hemodynamic stability during procedures, as well as improve claustrophobia and anxiety during magnetic resonance imaging. Little is understood as to the potential underlying mechanisms of how these interventions operate and contribute to positive outcomes. Thus, this article seeks to address that question by integrating autonomic nervous system functioning, neuropsychological concepts, and common factors theory of psychotherapy as potential underlying mechanisms. Opportunities for future directions in the field are also included.

Beyond hypnotizability, there may be different styles of experiencing hypnosis relevant to both basic research and clinical practice. Previous research has demonstrated the presence of inward attentive and dissociative subtypes among more highly hypnotizable individuals during a group protocol. With a sample of undergraduate students, we successfully replicated the presence of these 2 subtypes among those who were relatively more hypnotizable. Inward attentive and dissociative subtypes did not differ in their overall experience of the depth of the relationship with the hypnotist, though the dissociative subjects reported elevated everyday dissociative experiences. We then explored features of each subtype, noting possible altered memory experience in the dissociative style and reduced experience of rationality in both the inward attentive and dissociative styles. We discuss the scientific and clinical implications of this line of research.

Introduction: Clinical hypnosis for pain management cultivates specific skills to enhance general self-regulation and address pain. Hypnosis is well suited to integrative medicine settings; however, questions persist about its feasibility. This article describes a financially viable hypnosis practice model implemented in an integrative medicine clinic, providing initial feasibility data about rates of referral, participation, reimbursement, and provider retention. The specific processes required to establish and implement hypnosis services were detailed, including instruction in billing, reimbursement data, and a training model to enhance reach of services. Materials and methods: Insurer reimbursement data and operational costs were examined from three hypnosis groups conducted between September 2017 and March 2018. Furthermore, information on referral patterns and enrollment in treatment was collected from program initiation in September 2017 to January 2019. Provider retention in training with the expansion of supervision in the program's second year was also examined. Results: Of 258 individuals referred to hypnosis, 124 (48%) enrolled in group treatment. Analysis of insurer reimbursement over a subset of enrollees from three completed groups (N = 26) indicated an average collection of $95.85 per patient per session, equating to $706.86 per patient for the eight-session treatment. This extrapolates to $4,926.82 in total per seven-person group for the entirety of the eight-session treatment. After an annual training workshop, provider retention significantly increased (to 81% of eligible trained providers) with the initiation of twice-monthly clinical supervision focusing on transitioning from training to practice. Conclusion: This analysis indicates that a training- and practice-based research model of clinical hypnosis is feasible and financially sustainable in an integrative medicine setting.

AIMS Psychosocial factors amplify symptoms of Interstitial Cystitis (IC/BPS). While psychosocial self-management is efficacious in other pain conditions, its impact on an IC/BPS population has rarely been studied. The objective of this review is to learn the prevalence and impact of psychosocial factors on IC/BPS, assess baseline psychosocial characteristics, and offer recommendations for assessment and treatment. METHOD Following PRISMA guidelines, primary information sources were PubMed including MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and GoogleScholar. Inclusion criteria included: (i) a clearly defined cohort with IC/BPS or with Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome provided the IC/BPS cohort was delineated with quantitative results from the main cohort; (ii) all genders and regions; (iii) studies written in English from 1995 to April 14, 2017; (iv) quantitative report of psychosocial factors as outcome measures or at minimum as baseline characteristics. RESULTS Thirty-four of an initial 642 articles were reviewed. Quantitative analyses demonstrate the magnitude of psychosocial difficulties in IC/BPS, which are worse than average on all measures, and fall into areas of clinical concern for 7 out of 10 measures. Meta-analyses shows mean Mental Component Score of the Short-Form 12 Health Survey (MCS) of 40.80 (SD 6.25, N = 2912), where

Functional somatic syndromes, or more recently termed central sensitivity syndromes (CSS), comprise a significant portion of the chronic pain population. Although it is evident that personality is intricately related to the pain experience, it has not been widely studied. This article examines the impact of CSS on the clinical presentation of individuals presenting to treatment for a substance use disorder (SUD), with an emphasis on personality and emotional functioning. We examined personality profiles of individuals presenting to treatment with SUD between three groups: those with a CSS (n = 30), non-CSS chronic pain (n = 79), and no pain (n = 232). Based on previous research and a psychodynamic conceptualization of CSS, we hypothesized that predictors of the presence of a CSS in this sample would be higher rates of overall anxiety, traumatic stress, perfectionistic traits, and a need for interpersonal closeness. Logistic regression analyses did not support our hypothesis. Exploratory analyses indicated which personality traits most strongly predicted the presence of CSS. We discuss these findings using descriptive psychopathology literature, with recommendations for future research.

Dysphagia, the perceived impediment to swallowing food, is a common postsurgical symptom that can have debilitating consequences. This study presents the successful treatment of severe esophageal dysphagia with a problem-focused and patient-centered approach to hypnosis, informed by long-term empirical follow-up. The authors describe a case history involving significant and persistent difficulty swallowing for which no medical or surgical treatment could be found. Over the course of 10 sessions, the patient was assessed, treated with imaginal exposure, and instructed in self-hypnosis. Outcomes were measured at treatment conclusion, and 6-, 9-, and 18-month follow-ups. Following hypnosis, the patient exhibited significant and reliable change (RC) in visceral hypersensitivity (RC = -3.16

According to mentalization theory, reflective functioning is a core feature of healthy affect regulation which involves interactions among implicit and explicit processes across multiple systems of the individual in relation with others. Mother-infant interactions point to the role of whole body movement as a feature of developing affect regulation, promoting self-organization. Using behavioral imaging technology, we examined the legacy of whole body movement in adults undergoing an interpersonal stress task (Trier Social Stress Test; TSST). Movement was assessed as a multidimensional system over time, allowing for examination of rigid recurrence and self-organized determinism in movement dynamics (Multidimensional Recurrence Quantification Analysis). Reflective functioning was assessed using an automated analysis of transcripts. We found flexible yet self-organized movement uniquely predicted reflective function. Self-reported personality organization, assessed at least one week prior, showed some bivariate relationship with indices of movement dynamics, while self-reported attachment styles did not. Using novel methodology, this study demonstrated the cooccurrence of reflective functioning and specific movement dynamics. The authors suggest theoretical approaches from phenomenology to understand these findings and call for further research.

Objective Chronic pain and borderline personality disorder (BPD) are commonly comorbid and jointly associated with increased symptoms of both disorders and clinical and functional impairment. Little is known, however, about specific links between these disorders. In a cross-sectional study of patients with chronic pain, we compared participants high or low on BPD symptoms on patterns of pain experience and types of child and adult traumas. Methods Adults (N = 181) with chronic pain completed self-reports of pain severity, dimensions of pain experiencing, body coverage of pain, and clinical indicators of central sensitization (i.e., chronic hypersensitivity of the central nervous system), as well as measures of child and adult physical abuse, sexual abuse, trauma, and neglect. Participants also completed the McLean Screening Instrument for BPD. Results Participants with clinically significant BPD symptoms (n = 32) reported more childhood sexual trauma, punishment, and neglect, as well as adult physical/sexual trauma, than those without elevated BPD symptoms. Among participants with clinically significant BPD symptoms, affective pain and central sensitization were elevated, potentially explained by heightened negative affect in BPD. Conclusion BPD symptoms are associated with increased clinical severity among patients with chronic pain as well as a unique manifestation of pain experiencing (i.e., increased affective pain and central sensitization in particular). Childhood trauma of all types is associated with chronic pain and BPD co-occurrence. Researchers and clinicians should assess for BPD in people with chronic pain to enhance conceptual models of the transaction between these disorders and to improve clinical care.

PURPOSE The relationship between exposure to abuse and interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) is well-documented. However, studies have yet to examine posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which develops following exposure to trauma and worsens health outcomes in chronic pain. We aimed to assess the prevalence and impact of PTSD in patients with IC/BPS, including their relation to genitourinary symptom presentation and widespread pain phenotype. MATERIALS AND METHODS We recruited 202 participants with chronic pain from an academic medical center and classified 64 individuals as IC/BPS based on validated epidemiological criteria. Participants completed self-reported questionnaires assessing trauma exposure, PTSD symptoms, emotional distress, pain, and urinary symptoms. Wilcoxon rank-sum tests assessed study aims comparing IC/BPS to other chronic pain. RESULTS Although elevated, IC/BPS trauma exposure rates were equivalent to that of other chronic pain conditions in the sample. Despite this equivalence, in comparison, IC/BPS patients had significantly higher rates of PTSD symptoms, with 42% meeting provisional diagnostic criteria for PTSD. Among IC/BPS, those meeting provisional criteria for PTSD had significantly higher incidence of lifetime sexual abuse, childhood trauma, and presentations consistent with the widespread pain phenotype. In IC/BPS, there was no association between PTSD and genitourinary symptoms, but provisional PTSD was associated with more pain, emotional distress, and poorer quality of life. CONCLUSIONS We recommend that patients with IC/BPS and widespread pain have ongoing screening and monitoring of PTSD. We recommend using trauma-informed care practices with these patients to increase trust and safety, which could improve treatment compliance and follow-up.

Integrative health modalities can provide useful tools in the management of persistent pain in the primary care setting. These modalities, such as acupuncture, mind-body medicine, diet and herbs, and movement strategies can be safely used and may provide patients with hope and empowerment. It is highly recommended that the patient work alongside trained professionals for a given modality and/or an interprofessional team.

Until system reforms allow adequate time and reimbursement for primary care providers to focus on lifestyle change to prevent and mitigate chronic disease, primary care providers need a manageable, defined role to support lifestyle change. The authors suggest this role is to serve as a catalyst, priming the patient for change; educating and pointing the patient to appropriate, evidence-based resources for additional guidance and hands-on support; and providing ongoing encouragement throughout the long journey of change while patients work more intensely with health coaches or allied health providers.

According to Khantzian's (2003) self-medication hypothesis (SMH), substance dependence is a compensatory means to modulate affects and self-soothe in response to distressing psychological states. Khantzian asserts: (1) Drugs become addicting because they have the power to alleviate, remove, or change human psychological suffering, and (2) There is a considerable degree of specificity in a person's choice of drugs because of unique psychological and physiological effects. The SMH has received criticism for its variable empirical support, particularly in terms of the drug-specificity aspect of Khantzian's hypothesis. We posit that previous empirical examinations of the SMH have been compromised by methodological limitations. Also, more recent findings supporting the SMH have yet to be replicated. Addressing previous limitations to the research, this project tested this theory in a treatment sample of treatment-seeking individuals with substance dependence (N = 304), using more heterogeneous, personality-driven measures that are theory-congruent. Using an algorithm based on medical records, individuals were reliably classified as being addicted to a depressant, stimulant, or opiate by two independent raters. Theory-based a priori predictions were that the three groups would exhibit differences in personality characteristics and emotional-regulation strategies. Specifically, our hypotheses entailed that when compared against each other: (1) Individuals with a central nervous system (CNS) depressant as drug of choice (DOC) will exhibit defenses of repression, over-controlling anger, and emotional inhibition to avoid acknowledging their depression; (2) Individuals with an opiate as DOC will exhibit higher levels of aggression, hostility, depression, and trauma, greater deficits in ego functioning, and externalizing/antisocial behavior connected to their use; and (3) Individuals with a stimulant as DOC will experience anhedonia, paranoia, have a propensity to mania, and display lower levels of emotional inhibition. MANOVAs were used to test three hypotheses regarding drug group differences on the personality variables that were in keeping with the SMH. The MANOVAs for Hypothesis I (Depressant group) and Hypothesis II (Opiate group) were statistically significant. Findings partially support the SMH, particularly in its characterization of personality functioning in those addicted to depressants and opiates.