Psychosocial Interventions for Chronic Pain

This book fills a major gap in the practice literature for healthcare professionals engaged in providing psychosocial care for their patients suffering from chronic pain or illness. Up to now there has been little published material on evidence-based medicine in this field. Roy s book at last provides empirically derived support and understanding of psychosocial problems and explores the efficacy of the interventions available for patient care. A boon for clinical psychologists.Psychosocial Interventions for Chronic Pain§In Search of Evidence§Ranjan Roy, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg§Although much of medical practice is research driven, the same cannot be said about the psychosocial interventions for chronic pain and illness. Psychological therapy for pain is dominated by cognitive-behavior therapy, which is demonstrably effective in a significant proportion of chronic pain sufferers. There is a clear need to broaden the base of psychosocial therapies for treating this hugely suffering population. Psychosocial Interventions for Chronic Pain goes a long way to correct the situation by examining the empirical bases of patient problems as well as offering evidence-supported approaches to their management. Ranjan Roy s introductory chapters explain how effectiveness is measured in psychosocial practice, and these concepts are clearly applied in compelling case examples, including:§Family and couple therapy for longstanding pain issues.§Psychodynamic psychotherapy in a case of abuse and chronic pain.§Interpersonal psychotherapy for identity issues following a hysterectomy.§Cognitive-behavioral therapy for "immobilizing" pain.§Grief therapy following catastrophic loss.§Multidisciplinary approaches to complex chronic pain.§Psychosocial Interventions for Chronic Pain brings a useful framework of ideas to all health and mental health professionals working with chronic pain patients, including psychologists, social workers, physicians, and nurses. The book s evidence-based orientation also makes it a valid text for specialized graduate courses on pain management.