Scholars@Duke
Tamara J. Somers

Tamara J. Somers

Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Behavioral Medicine & Neurosciences
tamara.somers@duke.edu
Box 102506, Durham, NC 27710
2400 Pratt Street, North Pavil, 7 Floor, Room 7046, Durham, NC 27705

Selected Publications

Assessing the utility of the PC-PTSD-5 as a screening tool among a cancer survivor sample.

Journal Article Cancer · December 1, 2024 INTRODUCTION: Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) is an intensive and invasive procedure used in cancer treatment that can lead to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. These symptoms are frequently overlooked in oncology and general hea ... Full text Link to item Cite

Overcoming Patient Pain Together: Breast Cancer Patients and Caregivers' Pretreatment Psychosocial Distress Linked to Patients' Pain Interference During the First Year of Treatment.

Journal Article J Pain · July 2024 Breast cancer patients experience treatment-related pain from surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and long-term hormonal treatment, which can lead to poorer outcomes. Patient and family caregivers' psychosocial distress exacerbates patient pain interference, ... Full text Link to item Cite

Improving symptom management for survivors of young adult cancer: rationale and study protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial.

Journal Article Pilot Feasibility Stud · June 8, 2024 BACKGROUND: Young adult (YA) cancer survivors are a growing, yet underserved population who often face significant and long-lasting cancer-related physical (e.g., pain, fatigue) and emotional (e.g., psychological distress) symptoms. Post-treatment symptoms ... Full text Link to item Cite

Improving multimodal physical function in adults with heterogeneous chronic pain; Protocol for a multisite feasibility RCT.

Journal Article Contemp Clin Trials · March 2024 BACKGROUND: Chronic pain is associated with substantial impairment in physical function, which has been identified as a top concern among persons with pain. GetActive-Fitbit, a mind-body activity program, is feasible, acceptable, and associated with improv ... Full text Link to item Cite

Managing Chronic Pain in Cancer Survivorship: Communication Challenges and Opportunities as Described by Cancer Survivors.

Journal Article Am J Hosp Palliat Care · January 2024 OBJECTIVES: Many cancer survivors experience chronic pain after completing curative-intent treatment. Based on available data, chronic pain may be undertreated in this context; however, little is known about cancer survivors' experiences with clinical mana ... Full text Link to item Cite

Expressive writing to address distress in hospitalized adults with acute myeloid leukemia: a pilot randomized clinical trial.

Journal Article J Psychosoc Oncol · 2024 PURPOSE: Patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) experience significant distress. Expressive writing is an intervention designed to improve well-being by encouraging expression of emotions related to traumatic experiences. Expressive writing has been sh ... Full text Link to item Cite

Mindful Night-to-Day: A Pilot Feasibility Trial of a Mindfulness-Based Insomnia and Symptom Management Intervention for Patients with Hematologic Cancer.

Journal Article Behav Sleep Med · 2024 OBJECTIVES: Patients with hematologic cancer experience severe symptoms (i.e. insomnia, fatigue, pain, distress). Few interventions addressing insomnia and other symptoms exist for this population. Mindfulness-Based Therapy for Insomnia (MBTI) may be appro ... Full text Link to item Cite

Meaning-centered pain coping skills training for patients with metastatic cancer: Protocol for a randomized controlled efficacy trial.

Journal Article Contemp Clin Trials · December 2023 BACKGROUND: Many patients with advanced cancer describe pain as a debilitating symptom that greatly interferes with daily activities and enjoyment of life. Psychosocial interventions can improve cancer-related pain but rarely address spiritual concerns (e. ... Full text Link to item Cite

Breast cancer survivors with pain: an examination of the relationships between body mass index, physical activity, and symptom burden.

Journal Article Support Care Cancer · October 2, 2023 PURPOSE: Overweight and obesity are common for breast cancer survivors and associated with high symptom burden (i.e., pain, fatigue, depressive symptoms). Physical activity may protect breast cancer survivors with higher body mass indexes (BMI) from increa ... Full text Link to item Cite

Behavioral cancer pain intervention dosing: results of a Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial.

Journal Article Pain · September 1, 2023 Behavioral pain management interventions are efficacious for reducing pain in patients with cancer. However, optimal dosing of behavioral pain interventions for pain reduction is unknown, and this hinders routine clinical use. A Sequential Multiple Assignm ... Full text Link to item Cite

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Evaluating Delivery Strategies for Pain Coping Skills Training in Women With Breast Cancer.

Journal Article J Pain · September 2023 Pain coping skills training (PCST) is efficacious in patients with cancer, but clinical access is limited. To inform implementation, as a secondary outcome, we estimated the cost-effectiveness of 8 dosing strategies of PCST evaluated in a sequential multip ... Full text Link to item Cite

Improving Symptom Management for Survivors of Young Adult Cancer: Development of a Novel Intervention.

Journal Article J Adolesc Young Adult Oncol · August 2023 Purpose: Improved symptom management is a critical although unmet post-treatment need for young adult (YA) cancer survivors (aged 18-39 at diagnosis). This study aimed to develop and refine a behavioral symptom management intervention for YA survivors. Met ... Full text Link to item Cite

Patterns of patient-reported symptoms and association with sociodemographic and systemic sclerosis disease characteristics: a scleroderma Patient-centered Intervention Network (SPIN) Cohort cross-sectional study.

Journal Article EClinicalMedicine · August 2023 BACKGROUND: Systemic sclerosis is a heterogenous disease in which little is known about patterns of patient-reported symptom clusters. We aimed to identify classes of individuals with similar anxiety, depression, fatigue, sleep disturbance, and pain sympto ... Full text Link to item Cite

Nurse-led interventions in systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases: a systematic review.

Journal Article BMC Nurs · July 4, 2023 BACKGROUND: Nurses play an important role in the management of patients with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases. Little is known about the effectiveness of nurse-led interventions on patient-reported outcomes in this population. The aim of this systema ... Full text Link to item Cite

Effect of Pain Coping Skills Training on Pain and Pain Medication Use for Women With Breast Cancer.

Journal Article J Pain Symptom Manage · July 2023 CONTEXT: Pain is distressing for women with breast cancer. Pain medication may not provide full relief and can have negative side-effects. Cognitive-behavioral pain intervention protocols reduce pain severity and improve self-efficacy for pain management. ... Full text Link to item Cite

Meaning-centered pain coping skills training for patients with metastatic cancer: Results of a randomized controlled pilot trial.

Journal Article Psychooncology · July 2023 OBJECTIVE: For patients with advanced cancer, pain is a common and debilitating symptom that can negatively impact physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. This trial examined the feasibility and initial effects of Meaning-Centered Pain Coping Skills ... Full text Link to item Cite

mHealth Coping Skills Training for Symptom Management (mCOPE) for colorectal cancer patients in early to mid-adulthood: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Journal Article Contemp Clin Trials Commun · June 2023 BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) patients in early to mid-adulthood (≤50 years) are challenged by high symptom burden (i.e., pain, fatigue, distress) and age-related stressors (e.g., managing family, work). Cognitive behavioral theory (CBT)-based coping ... Full text Link to item Cite

Role of self-efficacy for pain management and pain catastrophizing in the relationship between pain severity and depressive symptoms in women with breast cancer and pain.

Journal Article J Psychosoc Oncol · 2023 PURPOSE: This study evaluated the relationship between pain and depressive symptoms through pain self-efficacy and pain catastrophizing in breast cancer patients with pain. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of a randomized trial investigating a cognitive-behavior ... Full text Link to item Cite

Hybrid-delivered cognitive behavioral symptom management and activity coaching intervention for patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplant: Findings from intervention development and a pilot randomized trial.

Journal Article J Psychosoc Oncol · 2023 OBJECTIVE: Develop and pilot test a mobile health (mHealth) cognitive behavioral coping skills training and activity coaching protocol (HCT Symptoms and Steps) for hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HCT) patients. DESIGN: Two-phase, mixed methods study. S ... Full text Link to item Cite

Improving well-being for individuals with persistent pain after surgery for breast cancer, lobular carcinoma in situ, or ductal carcinoma in situ: A randomized clinical trial.

Journal Article Contemp Clin Trials · November 2022 >276,000 Americans will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, lobular carcinoma in situ, or ductal carcinoma in situ this year and most will undergo breast surgery as part of their care. Although prognosis is excellent, many patients experience persist ... Full text Link to item Cite

A Framework for Automating Psychiatric Distress Screening in Ophthalmology Clinics Using an EHR-Derived AI Algorithm.

Journal Article Transl Vis Sci Technol · October 3, 2022 PURPOSE: In patients with ophthalmic disorders, psychosocial risk factors play an important role in morbidity and mortality. Proper and early psychiatric screening can result in prompt intervention and mitigate its impact. Because screening is resource int ... Full text Link to item Cite

Symptom Communication Preferences and Communication Barriers for Young Adult Cancer Survivors and Their Health Care Providers.

Journal Article J Adolesc Young Adult Oncol · October 2022 Purpose: Effective communication between young adult (YA; aged 18-39 years) cancer survivors and their health care providers is critical for managing post-treatment symptoms. Yet, little is known about YAs' and providers' preferences for and barriers to sy ... Full text Link to item Cite

Virtual reality for improving pain and pain-related symptoms in patients with advanced stage colorectal cancer: A pilot trial to test feasibility and acceptability.

Journal Article Palliat Support Care · August 2022 OBJECTIVE: Virtual reality (VR) has the potential to improve pain and pain-related symptoms. We examined the feasibility, acceptability, safety, and impact of a 30-min virtual underwater/sea environment (VR Blue) for reducing pain and pain-related symptoms ... Full text Link to item Cite

Pain, depressive symptoms, and self-efficacy for pain management: examination in African-American women with breast cancer.

Journal Article Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · August 2022 PurposeAfrican-American women with breast cancer face significant disparities, including high levels of pain. Depressive symptoms and self-efficacy for pain management impact how women with breast cancer manage pain, yet little is known about how ... Full text Cite

Geriatric Assessment Reveals Actionable Impairments in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Candidates Age 18 to 80 Years.

Journal Article Transplant Cell Ther · August 2022 Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) is a potentially curative treatment for both malignant and nonmalignant hematologic diseases; however, reported rates of treatment-related mortality approach 30%. Outcomes are worse in patients who b ... Full text Link to item Cite

Linking physical activity to personal values: feasibility and acceptability randomized pilot of a behavioral intervention for older adults with osteoarthritis pain.

Journal Article Pilot Feasibility Stud · August 1, 2022 BACKGROUND: Osteoarthritis (OA) pain is common and leads to functional impairment for many older adults. Physical activity can improve OA outcomes for older adults, but few are appropriately active. Behavioral interventions can reduce physical activity bar ... Full text Link to item Cite

Social risk factors predicting outcomes of cervical myelopathy surgery.

Journal Article J Neurosurg Spine · July 1, 2022 OBJECTIVE: Combinations of certain social risk factors of race, sex, education, socioeconomic status (SES), insurance, education, employment, and one's housing situation have been associated with poorer pain and disability outcomes after lumbar spine surge ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Designing Psychosocial Intervention Pilot Studies: A Tutorial for Palliative Care Investigators.

Journal Article J Pain Symptom Manage · June 2022 This is a tutorial on designing a persuasive pilot study of a psychosocial intervention (e.g., behavioral symptom management) in the palliative care setting. This tutorial is most relevant for early stages of intervention research that aims to progress tow ... Full text Link to item Cite

Meaning-Centered Pain Coping Skills Training: A Pilot Feasibility Trial of a Psychosocial Pain Management Intervention for Patients with Advanced Cancer.

Journal Article J Palliat Med · January 2022 Background: Pain from advanced cancer can greatly reduce patients' physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Objective: To examine the feasibility and acceptability of a behavioral pain management intervention, Meaning-Centered Pain Coping Skills Trai ... Full text Link to item Cite

Effects of a Weight and Pain Management Program in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis With Obesity: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Investigation.

Journal Article J Clin Rheumatol · January 1, 2022 BACKGROUND: Obesity is associated with poor outcomes for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Effective weight management is imperative. Although traditional lifestyle behavioral weight loss programs have demonstrated efficacy for reducing weight, thes ... Full text Link to item Cite

DEVELOPMENT, FEASIBILITY, AND ACCEPTABILITY OF A BEHAVIORAL WEIGHT AND SYMPTOM MANAGEMENT INTERVENTION FOR BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS AND INTIMATE PARTNERS.

Journal Article J Cancer Rehabil · 2022 BACKGROUND: Weight gain is common for breast cancer survivors and associated with disease progression, recurrence, and mortality. Traditional behavioral programs fail to address symptoms (i.e., pain, fatigue, distress) experienced by breast cancer survivor ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Co-occurring Fatigue and Lymphatic Pain Incrementally Aggravate Their Negative Effects on Activities of Daily Living, Emotional Distress, and Overall Health of Breast Cancer Patients.

Journal Article Integr Cancer Ther · 2022 BACKGROUND: Fatigue and lymphatic pain are the most common and debilitating long-term adverse effects of breast cancer treatment. Fatigue and pain independently have negative effects on quality of life, physical functions, and cancer recurrence-free surviv ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Trajectories of fatigue in a population-based sample of older adult breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer survivors: an analysis using the SEER-MHOS data resource.

Journal Article Support Care Cancer · December 2021 PURPOSE: Fatigue is one of the most common and distressing symptoms experienced by cancer survivors. Understanding fatigue trajectories from pre- to post-diagnosis could inform fatigue prevention and management strategies. METHODS: We used the Surveillance ... Full text Link to item Cite

A SMART approach to optimizing delivery of an mHealth intervention among cancer survivors with posttraumatic stress symptoms.

Journal Article Contemp Clin Trials · November 2021 BACKGROUND/AIMS: Many cancer survivors who received intensive treatment such as hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) experience posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. PTSD is associated with lower quality of life and other symptoms that re ... Full text Link to item Cite

Impact of anxiety and depression on progression to glaucoma among glaucoma suspects.

Journal Article The British journal of ophthalmology · September 2021 AimsTo assess the impact of anxiety and depression in the risk of converting to glaucoma in a cohort of glaucoma suspects followed over time.MethodsThe study included a retrospective cohort of subjects with diagnosis of glaucoma suspect a ... Full text Cite

Feasibility, engagement, and acceptability of a behavioral pain management intervention for colorectal cancer survivors with pain and psychological distress: data from a pilot randomized controlled trial.

Journal Article Support Care Cancer · September 2021 PURPOSE: Colorectal cancer survivors report pain and psychological distress to be burdensome long-term cancer consequences. Quality cancer survivorship care includes interventions for managing these symptoms. Yet, no studies have tested the efficacy of an ... Full text Link to item Cite

Relationship between social support, physical symptoms, and depression in women with breast cancer and pain.

Journal Article Support Care Cancer · September 2021 PURPOSE: Fatigue and pain are common among women with breast cancer, and often related to depressive symptoms. Social support may influence levels of fatigue, pain interference, and depressive symptoms. We tested a theory-based, structural model examining ... Full text Link to item Cite

Changes in Identification of Possible Pain Coping Strategies by People with Osteoarthritis who Complete Web-based Pain Coping Skills Training.

Journal Article Int J Behav Med · August 2021 BACKGROUND: We previously demonstrated that automated, Web-based pain coping skills training (PCST) can reduce osteoarthritis pain. The present secondary analyses examined whether this program also changed coping strategies participants identified for use ... Full text Link to item Cite

Predictors of Response to an Evidence-Based Behavioral Cancer Pain Management Intervention: An Exploratory Analysis From a Clinical Trial.

Journal Article J Pain Symptom Manage · August 2021 CONTEXT: Interventions that teach patients cognitive and behavioral strategies for managing cancer pain have demonstrated effectiveness. Systematic reviews of such interventions call for research to inform their implementation in practice, including invest ... Full text Link to item Cite

Self-management interventions in systemic sclerosis: A systematic review.

Journal Article Res Nurs Health · April 2021 Systemic sclerosis is a rare and incurable autoimmune disease in which patients are challenged with self-managing their disease. Systematic evaluation of the essential self-management intervention components and self-management outcomes is necessary to ass ... Full text Link to item Cite

Behavioral cancer pain intervention using videoconferencing and a mobile application for medically underserved patients: Rationale, design, and methods of a prospective multisite randomized controlled trial.

Journal Article Contemp Clin Trials · March 2021 BACKGROUND: Women with breast cancer in medically underserved areas are particularly vulnerable to persistent pain and disability. Behavioral pain interventions reduce pain and improve outcomes. Cancer patients in medically underserved areas receive limite ... Full text Link to item Cite

Discrimination Experiences and Depressive Symptoms among African Americans with Osteoarthritis Enrolled in a Pain Coping Skills Training Randomized Controlled Trial.

Journal Article J Health Care Poor Underserved · 2021 African Americans are more likely than members of other racial groups to report perceived discrimination in health care settings, and discrimination is linked to depression. Using data from a randomized controlled trial of pain coping skills training (PCST ... Full text Link to item Cite

Persistent Breast Pain

Chapter · January 1, 2021 Persistent breast pain (PBP) following a cancer diagnosis and treatment is common and can be highly distressing, interfering with daily activities, and leading to decreases in overall quality of life. PBP can result from breast surgeries, radiation, chemot ... Full text Cite

Acceptability of telephone-based pain coping skills training among African Americans with osteoarthritis enrolled in a randomized controlled trial: a mixed methods analysis.

Journal Article BMC Musculoskelet Disord · August 14, 2020 BACKGROUND: Osteoarthritis (OA) disproportionately impacts African Americans compared to Caucasians, including greater pain severity. The Pain Coping Skills Training for African Americans with Osteoarthritis (STAART) study examined a culturally enhanced Pa ... Full text Link to item Cite

Predictors of Intervention Session Completion in a Randomized Clinical Trial of a Behavioral Cancer Pain Intervention.

Journal Article J Pain Symptom Manage · June 2020 CONTEXT: Some patients with cancer are able to complete psychosocial pain management intervention sessions, and others find it difficult to do so. OBJECTIVES: Conduct a secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial (N = 178) that compared delivery form ... Full text Link to item Cite

Enhancing meaning in the face of advanced cancer and pain: Qualitative evaluation of a meaning-centered psychosocial pain management intervention.

Journal Article Palliat Support Care · June 2020 OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to obtain patient evaluations of the content, structure, and delivery modality of Meaning-Centered Pain Coping Skills Training (MCPC), a novel psychosocial intervention for patients with advanced cancer and pai ... Full text Link to item Cite

Evolution of a longitudinal, multidisciplinary, and scalable patient navigation matrix model.

Journal Article Cancer Med · May 2020 This Longitudinal patient navigation Matrix Model was developed to overcome barriers across the cancer care continuum by offering prepatients, patients, and their families with support services. The extraordinary heterogeneity of patient needs during cance ... Full text Link to item Cite

Coping Skills Training and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Symptom Management: Feasibility and Acceptability of a Brief Telephone-Delivered Protocol for Patients With Advanced Cancer.

Journal Article J Pain Symptom Manage · February 2020 CONTEXT: Patients with advanced cancer face a life-limiting condition that brings a high symptom burden that often includes pain, fatigue, and psychological distress. Psychosocial interventions have promise for managing symptoms but need additional tailori ... Full text Link to item Cite

A feasible and acceptable multicultural psychosocial intervention targeting symptom management in the context of advanced breast cancer.

Journal Article Psychooncology · February 2020 OBJECTIVE: Advanced breast cancer patients around the world experience high symptom burden (ie, distress, pain, and fatigue) and are in need of psychosocial interventions that target symptom management. This study examined the feasibility, acceptability, a ... Full text Link to item Cite

A Systematic Literature Review of Animal-Assisted Interventions in Oncology (Part II): Theoretical Mechanisms and Frameworks.

Journal Article Integr Cancer Ther · 2020 Animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) can improve patients' quality of life as complementary medical treatments. Part I of this 2-paper systematic review focused on the methods and results of cancer-related AAIs; Part II discusses the theories of the field' ... Full text Link to item Cite

A Systematic Literature Review of Animal-Assisted Interventions in Oncology (Part I): Methods and Results.

Journal Article Integr Cancer Ther · 2020 Animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) use human-animal interactions to positive effect in various contexts including cancer care. As the first installment of a 2-part series, this systematic literature review focuses on the research methods and quantitative ... Full text Link to item Cite

Psychosocial Correlates of Objective, Performance-Based, and Patient-Reported Physical Function Among Patients with Heterogeneous Chronic Pain.

Journal Article J Pain Res · 2020 BACKGROUND: Improving all aspects of physical function is an important goal of chronic pain management. Few studies follow recent guidelines to comprehensively assess physical function via patient-reported, performance-based, and objective/ambulatory measu ... Full text Link to item Cite

A behavioral cancer pain intervention: A randomized noninferiority trial comparing in-person with videoconference delivery.

Journal Article Psychooncology · August 2019 OBJECTIVE: Behavioral cancer pain interventions are efficacious for improving important pain outcomes; yet, traditional in-person delivery limits patient access. This study compared videoconference-delivered mobile health pain coping skills training (mPCST ... Full text Link to item Cite

Pain coping skills training for African Americans with osteoarthritis: results of a randomized controlled trial.

Journal Article Pain · June 2019 African Americans bear a disproportionate burden of osteoarthritis (OA), but they have been underrepresented in trials of behavioral interventions for pain. This trial examined a culturally tailored pain coping skills training (CST) program, compared to a ... Full text Link to item Cite

Reminders of cancer risk and pain catastrophizing: relationships with cancer worry and perceived risk in women with a first-degree relative with breast cancer.

Journal Article Fam Cancer · January 2019 First-degree relatives of women with breast cancer may experience increased worry or perceived risk when faced with reminders of their own cancer risk. Worry and risk reminders may include physical symptoms (e.g., persistent breast pain) and caregiving exp ... Full text Link to item Cite

Managing Chronic Pain in Cancer Survivors Prescribed Long-Term Opioid Therapy: A National Survey of Ambulatory Palliative Care Providers.

Journal Article J Pain Symptom Manage · January 2019 CONTEXT: Chronic pain, or pain lasting more than three months, is common among cancer survivors, who are often prescribed long-term opioid therapy (LTOT). OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to explore palliative care providers' experiences with managing chronic ... Full text Link to item Cite

Testing a behavioral intervention to improve adherence to adjuvant endocrine therapy (AET).

Journal Article Contemp Clin Trials · January 2019 Adjuvant endocrine therapy (AET) is used to prevent recurrence and reduce mortality for women with hormone receptor positive breast cancer. Poor adherence to AET is a significant problem and contributes to increased medical costs and mortality. A variety o ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Development and pilot testing of an mHealth behavioral cancer pain protocol for medically underserved communities.

Journal Article J Psychosoc Oncol · 2019 The purpose of this study was to refine and test a mobile-health behavioral cancer pain coping skills training protocol for women with breast cancer and pain from medically underserved areas. Three focus groups (Phase 1) were used to refine the initial pro ... Full text Link to item Cite

A smoking cessation and pain management program for cancer survivors.

Journal Article J Cancer Surviv · December 2018 PURPOSE: Many cancer survivors continue to smoke. Further, most survivors also report high levels of persistent pain and smoke in response to pain. The investigators tested the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a smoking cessation pro ... Full text Link to item Cite

Pain coping skills training for African Americans with osteoarthritis study: baseline participant characteristics and comparison to prior studies.

Journal Article BMC Musculoskelet Disord · September 19, 2018 BACKGROUND: The Pain Coping Skills Training for African Americans with OsteoaRTthritis (STAART) trial is examining the effectiveness of a culturally enhanced pain coping skills training (CST) program for African Americans with osteoarthritis (OA). This dis ... Full text Link to item Cite

A System for Assessment of Canine-Human Interaction during Animal-Assisted Therapies.

Conference Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc · July 2018 Animal-assisted therapies (AAT) are becoming increasingly common to help hospitalized patients, especially in oncology units. There is a critical need for methods and technologies that can enable a quantifiable understanding of AAT to objectively demonstra ... Full text Link to item Cite

The effect of pre-transplant pain and chronic disease self-efficacy on quality of life domains in the year following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Journal Article Support Care Cancer · April 2018 PURPOSE: Pain is common for hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) patients and may be experienced pre-transplant, acutely post-transplant, and for months or years following transplant. HSCT patients with persistent pain may be at risk for poor quality ... Full text Link to item Cite

An mHealth Pain Coping Skills Training Intervention for Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Patients: Development and Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

Journal Article JMIR Mhealth Uhealth · March 19, 2018 BACKGROUND: Pain is a challenge for patients following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT). OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to develop and test the feasibility, acceptability, and initial efficacy of a Web-based mobile pain coping skills training (mP ... Full text Link to item Cite

Effects of a Telephone- and Web-based Coping Skills Training Program Compared with an Education Program for Survivors of Critical Illness and Their Family Members. A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Journal Article Am J Respir Crit Care Med · January 1, 2018 RATIONALE: Many survivors of critical illness and their family members experience significant psychological distress after patient discharge. OBJECTIVES: To compare the effects of a coping skills training (CST) program with an education program on patient ... Full text Link to item Cite

Perceptions of Statin Discontinuation among Patients with Life-Limiting Illness.

Journal Article J Palliat Med · October 2017 BACKGROUND: Optimal management of chronic medications for patients with life-limiting illness is uncertain. Medication deprescribing may improve outcomes in this population, but patient concerns regarding deprescribing are unclear. OBJECTIVE: The aim of th ... Full text Link to item Cite

An mHealth Pain Coping Skills Training Intervention for Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Patients: Development and Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)

Journal Article · July 27, 2017 BACKGROUNDPain is a challenge for patients following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT). Full text Cite

Optimizing delivery of a behavioral pain intervention in cancer patients using a sequential multiple assignment randomized trial SMART.

Journal Article Contemp Clin Trials · June 2017 BACKGROUND/AIMS: Pain is common in cancer patients and results in lower quality of life, depression, poor physical functioning, financial difficulty, and decreased survival time. Behavioral pain interventions are effective and nonpharmacologic. Traditional ... Full text Link to item Cite

Cognitive problems following hematopoietic stem cell transplant: relationships with sleep, depression and fatigue.

Journal Article Bone Marrow Transplant · February 2017 Cognitive problems are a significant, persistent concern for patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). Sleep is important for many cognitive tasks; however, the relationship between sleep and cognitive problems for HSCT patients is unk ... Full text Link to item Cite

Using Patient Reported Outcomes in Oncology Clinical Practice.

Journal Article Scand J Pain · October 2016 BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Patient reported outcomes (PROs) are increasingly being implemented into the care of patients with cancer. The use of a standard set of PROs (e.g., pain) in cancer is becoming established and there is interest in what additional PROs m ... Full text Link to item Cite

Exploratory secondary analyses of a cognitive-behavioral intervention for knee osteoarthritis demonstrate reduction in biomarkers of adipocyte inflammation.

Journal Article Osteoarthritis Cartilage · September 2016 OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of pain coping skills training (PCST) and a lifestyle behavioral weight management (BWM) program on inflammatory markers and biomarker associations with pain and function in the OA LIFE study. METHOD: Serum samples wer ... Full text Link to item Cite

Pain coping skills training for African Americans with osteoarthritis (STAART): study protocol of a randomized controlled trial.

Journal Article BMC Musculoskelet Disord · August 23, 2016 BACKGROUND: African Americans bear a disproportionate burden of osteoarthritis (OA), with higher prevalence rates, more severe pain, and more functional limitations. One key barrier to addressing these disparities has been limited engagement of African Ame ... Full text Link to item Cite

A Small Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial Comparing Mobile and Traditional Pain Coping Skills Training Protocols for Cancer Patients with Pain.

Journal Article Pain Res Treat · 2016 Psychosocial pain management interventions are efficacious for cancer pain but are underutilized. Recent advances in mobile health (mHealth) technologies provide new opportunities to decrease barriers to access psychosocial pain management interventions. T ... Full text Link to item Cite

A Pilot Study of a Mobile Health Pain Coping Skills Training Protocol for Patients With Persistent Cancer Pain.

Journal Article J Pain Symptom Manage · October 2015 CONTEXT: Pain coping skills training (PCST) interventions have shown efficacy for reducing pain and providing other benefits in patients with cancer. However, their reach is often limited because of a variety of barriers (e.g., travel, physical burden, cos ... Full text Link to item Cite

Automated Internet-based pain coping skills training to manage osteoarthritis pain: a randomized controlled trial.

Journal Article Pain · May 2015 Osteoarthritis (OA) places a significant burden on worldwide public health because of the large and growing number of people affected by OA and its associated pain and disability. Pain coping skills training (PCST) is an evidence-based intervention targeti ... Full text Link to item Cite

TWO PHASES OF PILOTING A MHEALTH BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTION FOR CANCER PAIN

Journal Article ANNALS OF BEHAVIORAL MEDICINE · April 1, 2015 Link to item Cite

Retaining critical therapeutic elements of behavioral interventions translated for delivery via the Internet: recommendations and an example using pain coping skills training.

Journal Article J Med Internet Res · December 19, 2014 Evidence supporting the efficacy of behavioral interventions based on principles of cognitive behavioral therapies has spurred interest in translating these interventions for delivery via the Internet. However, the benefits of this dissemination method can ... Full text Link to item Cite

Holding back moderates the association between health symptoms and social well-being in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Journal Article J Pain Symptom Manage · September 2014 CONTEXT: Holding back, or withholding discussion of disease-related thoughts and emotions, is associated with negative outcomes including lower quality of life, diminished well-being, and relational distress. For patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell ... Full text Link to item Cite

Pain, physical functioning, and overeating in obese rheumatoid arthritis patients: do thoughts about pain and eating matter?

Journal Article J Clin Rheumatol · August 2014 BACKGROUND: Obese rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients have higher levels of pain, disability, and disease activity than do nonobese patients with RA. Patients' health-related thoughts about arthritis and weight may be important to consider in obese patients ... Full text Link to item Cite

Energy recovery in individuals with knee osteoarthritis.

Journal Article Osteoarthritis Cartilage · June 2014 OBJECTIVE: Pathological gaits have been shown to limit transfer between potential (PE) and kinetic (KE) energy during walking, which can increase locomotor costs. The purpose of this study was to examine whether energy exchange would be limited in people w ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

The relationship between pain and eating among overweight and obese individuals with osteoarthritis: an ecological momentary study.

Journal Article Pain Res Manag · 2014 BACKGROUND: Osteoarthritis (OA) patients who are overweight or obese report higher levels of pain compared with their normal-weight OA counterparts. Evidence suggests that overweight or obese OA patients also experience pain relief from eating foods high i ... Full text Link to item Cite

Psychosocial interventions for managing pain in older adults: outcomes and clinical implications.

Journal Article Br J Anaesth · July 2013 Interest in the use of psychosocial interventions to help older adults manage pain is growing. In this article, we review this approach. The first section reviews the conceptual background for psychosocial interventions with a special emphasis on the biops ... Full text Link to item Cite

Reply: To PMID 22505314.

Journal Article Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken) · July 2013 Full text Link to item Cite

Pain imaging

Chapter · January 1, 2013 Full text Cite

The context of pain in arthritis: self-efficacy for managing pain and other symptoms.

Journal Article Curr Pain Headache Rep · December 2012 Arthritis pain may be best understood in the context of a biospychosocial model of pain. The biopsychosocial model of pain suggests that adjustment to arthritis pain is multifaceted and is influenced by biological, psychological, and social factors. One ps ... Full text Link to item Cite

Self-efficacy and pain catastrophizing in systemic lupus erythematosus: relationship to pain, stiffness, fatigue, and psychological distress.

Journal Article Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken) · September 2012 OBJECTIVE: To determine how self-efficacy for pain control and pain catastrophizing, both potentially modifiable pain coping cognitions, are related to pain, stiffness, fatigue, and psychological distress in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) ... Full text Link to item Cite

Pain coping skills training and lifestyle behavioral weight management in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled study.

Journal Article Pain · June 2012 Overweight and obese patients with osteoarthritis (OA) experience more OA pain and disability than patients who are not overweight. This study examined the long-term efficacy of a combined pain coping skills training (PCST) and lifestyle behavioral weight ... Full text Link to item Cite

Brief Fear of Movement Scale for osteoarthritis.

Journal Article Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken) · June 2012 OBJECTIVE: Fear of movement has important clinical implications for individuals with osteoarthritis (OA). This study aimed to establish a brief fear of movement scale for use in OA. Items from the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK) were examined. METHODS: ... Full text Link to item Cite

Self-compassion in patients with persistent musculoskeletal pain: relationship of self-compassion to adjustment to persistent pain.

Journal Article J Pain Symptom Manage · April 2012 CONTEXT: Self-compassion entails qualities such as kindness and understanding toward oneself in difficult circumstances and may influence adjustment to persistent pain. Self-compassion may be a particularly influential factor in pain adjustment for obese i ... Full text Link to item Cite

Prospective study of factors predicting adherence to surveillance mammography in women treated for breast cancer.

Journal Article J Clin Oncol · March 10, 2012 PURPOSE: This prospective study examined the factors that predicted sustained adherence to surveillance mammography in women treated for breast cancer. METHODS: Breast cancer survivors (N = 204) who were undergoing surveillance mammography completed questi ... Full text Link to item Cite

Pilot feasibility study of a telephone-based couples intervention for physical intimacy and sexual concerns in colorectal cancer.

Journal Article J Sex Marital Ther · 2012 No studies have tested interventions addressing the sexual concerns of colorectal cancer patients and their partners. The authors reported findings from a pilot feasibility study of a novel telephone-based intimacy enhancement protocol that addresses the i ... Full text Link to item Cite

Neuroimaging of pain: A psychosocial perspective

Journal Article · December 1, 2011 The past 60 years has witnessed major changes in the way that pain is conceptualized and treated. In the 1950s, pain was generally conceptualized using a sensory model that maintained that pain is a simple sensory event that warned of tissue damage. Treatm ... Full text Cite

Pain acceptance, hope, and optimism: relationships to pain and adjustment in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain.

Journal Article J Pain · November 2011 UNLABELLED: There is growing interest in the role that positive aspects of psychological adjustment, such as pain acceptance, hope, and optimism, may play in explaining adjustment in persons suffering from persistent pain. This study conducted in obese pat ... Full text Link to item Cite

Effects of coping skills training and sertraline in patients with non-cardiac chest pain: a randomized controlled study.

Journal Article Pain · April 2011 Non-cardiac chest pain (NCCP) is a common and distressing condition. Prior studies suggest that psychotropic medication or pain coping skills training (CST) may benefit NCCP patients. To our knowledge, no clinical trials have examined the separate and comb ... Full text Link to item Cite

Pain and functioning of rheumatoid arthritis patients based on marital status: is a distressed marriage preferable to no marriage?

Journal Article J Pain · October 2010 UNLABELLED: Relationships may influence adjustment to chronic pain conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We examined how both marital status and marital adjustment were related to pain, physical disability, and psychological disability in 255 adult ... Full text Link to item Cite

Hope in the context of lung cancer: relationships of hope to symptoms and psychological distress.

Journal Article J Pain Symptom Manage · August 2010 CONTEXT: Hope may be important in explaining the variability in how patients adjust to lung cancer. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to examine how hope, as conceptualized by Snyder et al., is associated with multiple indices of adjustment to lung can ... Full text Link to item Cite

Coping with sexual concerns after cancer: the use of flexible coping.

Journal Article Support Care Cancer · July 2010 INTRODUCTION: Although cancer treatment commonly has a negative impact on sexual functioning, sexual concerns are still largely undertreated in routine cancer care. The medical model that guides current approaches to sexual care in cancer does not adequate ... Full text Link to item Cite

Disease severity and domain-specific arthritis self-efficacy: relationships to pain and functioning in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Journal Article Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken) · June 2010 OBJECTIVE: To examine the degree to which disease severity and domains of self-efficacy (pain, function, and other symptoms) explain pain and functioning in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. METHODS: Patients (n = 263) completed the Arthritis Impact Meas ... Full text Link to item Cite

Psychologic Interventions for Cancer Pain

Journal Article · April 14, 2010 Full text Cite

Psychological approaches to understanding and treating arthritis pain.

Journal Article Nat Rev Rheumatol · April 2010 Arthritis pain has traditionally been evaluated from a biomedical perspective, but there is increasing evidence that psychological factors have an important role in patients' adjustment to arthritis pain. The evolution of pain theories has led to the devel ... Full text Link to item Cite

Understanding and enhancing patient and partner adjustment to disease-related pain: A biopsychosocial perspective

Journal Article · December 1, 2009 Persistent, disease-related pain is a challenge not only for patients who experience it, but also for their loved ones. There is growing interest in involving partners and caregivers in pain management efforts. The purpose of this chapter is to discuss fac ... Full text Cite

Pain catastrophizing in patients with noncardiac chest pain: relationships with pain, anxiety, and disability.

Journal Article Psychosom Med · October 2009 OBJECTIVE: To examine the contributions of chest pain, anxiety, and pain catastrophizing to disability in 97 patients with noncardiac chest pain (NCCP) and to test whether chest pain and anxiety were related indirectly to greater disability via pain catast ... Full text Link to item Cite

Psychosocial factors and the pain experience of osteoarthritis patients: new findings and new directions.

Journal Article Curr Opin Rheumatol · September 2009 PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The present paper reviews recent psychosocial research in the area of osteoarthritis pain. First, the review highlights studies of psychosocial factors that can influence osteoarthritis pain. Next, research testing the efficacy of psycho ... Full text Link to item Cite

Cancer genetics service interest in women with a limited family history of breast cancer.

Journal Article J Genet Couns · August 2009 Women with a limited family history of breast cancer may be interested in cancer genetics information although their objective risk of breast cancer may not indicate routine referral to cancer genetics services. This study examined factors related to inter ... Full text Link to item Cite

Pain catastrophizing and pain-related fear in osteoarthritis patients: relationships to pain and disability.

Journal Article J Pain Symptom Manage · May 2009 This study examined the degree to which pain catastrophizing and pain-related fear explain pain, psychological disability, physical disability, and walking speed in patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. Participants in this study were 106 individu ... Full text Link to item Cite

Psychological interventions for cancer pain

Chapter · January 1, 2009 Over the past 15 years, psychological interventions have emerged as a useful adjunct to medical approaches to cancer pain management. Psychological interventions offer several advantages in cancer pain management. First, they can enhance patients' sense of ... Full text Cite

Coping with genetic testing for breast cancer susceptibility.

Journal Article Psychosom Med · January 2009 OBJECTIVE: To examine how women cope with genetic testing for heightened susceptibility to breast cancer. METHODS: Participants were 126 White women (age = 44 +/- 9 years) who were participants in a larger study of genetic testing for risk of different chr ... Full text Link to item Cite

Domain specific self-efficacy mediates the impact of pain catastrophizing on pain and disability in overweight and obese osteoarthritis patients.

Journal Article J Pain · October 2008 UNLABELLED: This study examined whether self-efficacy mediated the relationship between pain catastrophizing and pain and disability. Participants were 192 individuals diagnosed with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knees who were overweight or obese. Multiple m ... Full text Link to item Cite

Psychological distress and quality of life associated with genetic testing for breast cancer risk.

Journal Article Psychooncology · August 2008 This study investigated short- and long-term psychological outcomes associated with BRCA1/2 genetic testing in women with a personal or family history of breast cancer. Participants included 126 women considering genetic testing. Questionnaires were admini ... Full text Link to item Cite

Psychologic interventions and lifestyle modifications for arthritis pain management.

Journal Article Rheum Dis Clin North Am · May 2008 This article provides an overview of self-management interventions used to manage pain in patients who have arthritis. The article is divided in two major sections. The first section reviews psychologic interventions used to manage arthritis pain, includin ... Full text Link to item Cite

Pain catastrophizing in borderline morbidly obese and morbidly obese individuals with osteoarthritic knee pain.

Journal Article Pain Res Manag · 2008 OBJECTIVE: There is limited information about how morbidly obese osteoarthritis (OA) patients cope with the pain they experience. Pain catastrophizing is an important predictor of pain and adjustment in persons with persistent pain. This may be particularl ... Full text Link to item Cite

Avoidance behavior in panic disorder: the moderating influence of perceived control.

Journal Article Behav Res Ther · January 2006 The relations among anxiety sensitivity, perceived control, and agoraphobia were examined in 239 patients diagnosed with panic disorder (PD). Most patients exhibited agoraphobia accompanying their PD (98% situational avoidance; 90% experiential avoidance; ... Full text Link to item Cite

Posttraumatic stress associated with cancer history and BRCA1/2 genetic testing.

Journal Article Psychosom Med · 2005 OBJECTIVE: A subset of women who are at elevated cancer risk due to family history exhibit evidence of cancer-specific distress. These stress responses may represent symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The present study assessed rates of PTSD ... Full text Link to item Cite