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. 2023 Feb 23;20(5):3973.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph20053973.

"INTEGRO INTEGRated Psychotherapeutic InterventiOn" on the Management of Chronic Pain in Patients with Fibromyalgia: The Role of the Therapeutic Relationship

Ilenia Pasini  1 , Cinzia Perlini  1 , Valeria Donisi  1 , Anna Mason  1 , Vittorio Schweiger  2 , Erica Secchettin  2 , Fabio Lugoboni  3 , Gaetano Valenza  4 , Lidia Del Piccolo  1
Affiliations

"INTEGRO INTEGRated Psychotherapeutic InterventiOn" on the Management of Chronic Pain in Patients with Fibromyalgia: The Role of the Therapeutic Relationship

Ilenia Pasini et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic disease characterized by a heterogeneous set of physical and psychological conditions. The chronic experience of disability felt by patients and the impact on quality of life (QoL) of the disease may worsen the cognitive reappraisal ability and contribute to maintaining an altered pain modulation mechanism. This paper presents the study protocol of an INTEGRated psychotherapeutic interventiOn on the management of chronic pain in patients with fibromyalgia (INTEGRO). The aim of the study is to investigate the efficacy of an integrated psychotherapeutic intervention focused on pain management on QoL and pain perception, in a pilot sample of 45 FM patients with idiopathic chronic pain. The contribution of perceived therapeutic relationship (alliance) and physiological attunement, in both the patient and therapist, will be considered as possible mediators of intervention efficacy. Attachment dimensions, traumatic experiences, difficulties in emotion regulation, mindfulness attitude and psychophysiological profile will also be considered as covariates. The objectives are to evaluate longitudinally if patients will experience an increase in QoL perception (primary endpoint), pain-managing self-efficacy and emotion-regulation abilities as well as a reduction in pain intensity (secondary endpoints), considering the mediating role of perceived therapeutic alliance and physiological attunement in both the patient and therapist.

Keywords: attunement; chronic pain; cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT); fibromyalgia; integrated psychotherapy; psychophysiological synchronization; psychophysiology; therapeutic alliance.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flowchart of INTEGRO study.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Organization of space during psychophysiological recording sessions.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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