An exploratory clinical trial on acceptance and commitment therapy as an adjunct to psychoeducational relaxation therapy for chronic pain.

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the clinical efficacy of two differently-designed psychological interventions for chronic pain.Design: 138 patients presenting chronic pain were randomly assigned to one of two experimental conditions: (1) Psychoeducational relaxation therapy (PRT, n = 84) or (2) PRT followed by acceptance and commitment therapy (PRT + ACT, n = 54).Main outcome measures: Pain intensity, quality of life (SF-36), anxiety and depression (HADS), stress (PSS), pain catastrophizing (PCS), chronic pain acceptance (CPAQ), and psychological inflexibility (PIPS) were assessed at three time-points: before therapy (T1); at the end of the therapy (T2); and 3- months after the end of the therapy (T3).Results: In T2, the PRT intervention showed more significant improvements in the measures of mental quality of life [F (1,92) = 7.478, P < .05] and depression [F (1, 92) = 5.804, P < .05] compared to the PRT + ACT intervention. The experimental groups did not differ in their outcome measures at T3.Conclusion: PRT appears to be an effective solution in the psychological care of chronic pain. The effectiveness of this type of intervention seems to have been underestimated. The addition of ACT sessions did not significantly impact the results, indicating that both designs of interventions are effective in the short term.

Role of non-pharmacological interventions for healthy ageing.

The range of non-pharmacological interventions (NPIs) available for people over 60 years of age is continuously expanding, both in terms of prevention and therapy. They have been empirically selected for centuries and more recently developed through epigenetic studies, clinical trials and technological innovations, and their development has increased and diversified around the world. Residual questions concern: 1) the scope of such treatments which appears to overlap with alternative medicines, 2) their evaluation, which some researchers say is impossible, and 3) their implementation in the elderly, which appears to be overly complicated. This article addresses these three questions and presents digital tools developed by the CEPS University Platform facilitating the evaluation of NPIs in the field of healthy aging. The transformation of the health system, which has become necessary to meet the needs of baby boomers, will widen the arsenal of health-related solutions. The combination of approaches to medicine and health has become personalised, comprehensive and integrative. NPIs will play a major role in the coming century. These practices differ from alternative medicines, general public health messages and socio-cultural approaches through continuous research, a quality approach and traceability of use. NPIs today constitute a complementary ecosystem for biomedical treatments which are increasingly becoming economically and legally consolidated.

[Role of non-pharmacological interventions for healthy aging]. / Rôle des interventions non médicamenteuses pour vieillir en bonne santé.

Non-pharmacological interventions (NPIs) are continuously expanding for people over 60, both in terms of prevention and therapy. Selected empirically for centuries or recently appeared with the help of epigenetic studies, clinical trials and technological innovations, their development increase and are diversified around the world. Residual questions concern 1) their perimeter which seems to overlap with alternative medicines, 2) their evaluation which seems impossible according to some researchers, and 3) their implementation in the elderly which seems too fastidious. This article answers these three questions and then presents digital tools developed by the CEPS University Platform facilitating the evaluation of NPIs in the field of successful aging. The transformation of the health system, which has become necessary to meet the needs of baby-boomers, will widen the arsenal of solutions relevant to health, their combination of medicine and health approach that have become personalized, comprehensive and integrative. NPIs will play a major role there during the century. These practices are distinguished from alternative medicines, general public health messages and socio-cultural offers by continuous research, a quality approach and traceability of use. NPIs today constitute a complementary ecosystem for biomedical treatments whose economic and legal consolidation is increasing.