Clinical effects of online cognitive behavioral group therapy for chronic pain patients and developing a therapeutic alliance: A pre–post pilot trial

Abstract Background and Aims Research suggests that various psychosocial factors influence chronic pain, with psychotherapies like cognitive behavioral therapy proving effective. However, the limited availability and accessibility have prolonged suffering among patients with chronic pain. This challenge has led to a growing demand for accessible online interventions. We developed an online cognitive behavioral group therapy (CBGT) program, building upon our existing face‐to‐face CBGT program. We compared the scores obtained by patients during the treatment‐as‐usual (TAU) period with those collected at the beginning and at the end of the intervention. Methods Patients with chronic pain (N = 22) agreed to participate in the online CBGT program, which was conducted once a week for 12 sessions. The sample size was decided based on the effect sizes of our past face‐to‐face CBGT. We assessed pain intensity [Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)], pain catastrophizing [pain catastrophizing scale (PCS)] and psychiatric assessment [Beck Depression Inventory‐Second Edition (BDI)‐II], State‐Trait‐Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and Short Form Health Survey (SF‐36) at three points: entry, pretreatment, and posttreatment. We also evaluated the participants' therapeutic alliance with the treatment staff [short‐form version of the Working Alliance Inventory (WAI‐S)]. We utilized analyses of variance, Friedman test, paired t‐tests, Wilcoxon signed‐rank test, and Pearson correlation analysis for data evaluation. Results Results indicated a significant posttreatment improvement in VAS, PCS, and BDI‐II scores compared to the TAU period. Furthermore, posttreatment WAI‐S scores increased significantly compared to pretreatment scores. Also, positive correlations were observed among pre‐ and posttreatment changes in WAI‐S, pain intensity, and pain catastrophizing scores. Conclusion There is a possibility that a therapeutic alliance can be established, and therapeutic effects achieved through an online CBGT intervention; however, additional research is required to substantiate this potential. We have registered this clinical trial in UMIN‐CTR on 04/21/2021 with the number UMIN000043982.