The psychological dimension of chronic pain condition management is vital from the biopsychosocial approach favoured for its treatment. A novel form of treatment, e-Health interventions offer a...Show moreThe psychological dimension of chronic pain condition management is vital from the biopsychosocial approach favoured for its treatment. A novel form of treatment, e-Health interventions offer a cost-effective and accessible route to chronic pain management. The present study provides an overview of their efficacy across the outcomes of pain disability, depression, and pain intensity for chronic lower back pain patients. Additionally, the effect of guidance on the efficacy of the interventions was examined. This was done by means of meta-analyses and subgroup analyses. PICOS criteria were adhered to, thus multiple databases were searched for randomised controlled trials investigating chronic pain, involving participants aged 17-67. The Cochrane Handbook Risk of Bias tool facilitated evaluation of quality checking of included studies. The statistical analyses were done using R Version 4.3.1. A fixed-effects model was used for the analyses, and packages Metafor, Tidyverse, esc, readxl, numDeriv, purrr, sjPlot, and dMetar were utilised. Analyses indicated small, non-significant effects in the case of both research questions. High heterogeneity was found between studies, which rendered comparison between studies and drawing conclusions challenging. In summary, the effect of the interventions on depression, pain intensity, and pain disability were not clearly demonstrated through the analyses, and it could not be distinguished whether guidance was advantageous in the studies. Small indications of unguided interventions displaying greater efficacy were found, but these did not meet conventional thresholds of significance. The small positive effects noted in this research hint at the potential for effective use of e-Health interventions in the management of chronic pain. The limitations experienced in this study, particularly the small amount of studies eligible for inclusion in the analyses, diverse 5 control conditions, and dissimilar modalities, limit comparability. Further research in this area would allow for a deeper understanding of the efficacy of e-Health interventions, and the conditions under which greatest efficacy can be achieved for pain management. Keywords: chronic pain, chronic lower back pain, CLBP, e-Health, depression, pain intensity, pain disabilityShow less
Background. Endometriosis is a gynecological disorder and develops as a result of endometrial tissue growing external to the uterus. This condition is associated with severe chronic pelvic pain,...Show moreBackground. Endometriosis is a gynecological disorder and develops as a result of endometrial tissue growing external to the uterus. This condition is associated with severe chronic pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea, and dyspareunia, affecting up to 10% of individuals born with a female reproductive system. Due to insufficient understanding about its underlying causes, receiving a diagnosis is challenging which adds to a diagnostic delay of 8 to 14 years on average. This may cause negative effects on the individual’s mental health and overall functioning. Aim. The primary objective of this study was to explore how diagnostic related factors, such as diagnostic methods and delay, influence the pain perception in individuals suffering from endometriosis. Further, the underling factors such as self-esteem and psychological well-being were investigated to gain a broader understanding of this multidimensional condition. Methods. The study consisted of the questionnaires: Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE), Psychological Well-Being (PWB), Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) and additional ad-hoc items measuring diagnostic delay (DD), and diagnostic methods. Statistical analysis was conducted through independent sample-t tests to investigate mean differences between DD and diagnostic methods on perceived pain. A mediation analysis was conducted to investigate the mediating effect of NPRS on the relationship between RSE and PWB. Results. No significant differences were found between diagnostic methods and perceived pain. However, the results indicated that perceived pain differs depending on DD. Additionally, the mediation of NPRS on the relationship between RSE and PWB was found to be significant. Conclusion. Findings show no validifying effect of diagnostic methods (invasive, noninvasive) and no effects of receiving laparoscopic surgery, in regards of perceived pain. Additionally, perceived pain increases with DD, leading to dysregulation of somatic and visceral pain symptoms. Finally, the interplay of psychological components such as self-esteem and physical symptoms play a significant role in terms of well-being.Show less
