Long-Term Effects of a Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention on Pain Coping among Inpatient Orthopedic Rehabilitation of Chronic Low Back Pain and Depressive Symptoms

Beneficial effects on psychological measures in orthopedic inpatient rehabilitation of patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP) and co-existing depressive symptoms have been shown only for multidisciplinary approaches that incorporate psychotherapeutic interventions. Aim of this study was to verify these findings for pain coping outcomes (pain-related psychological disability, pain-related coping). Short-, mid-, and long-term effects of a standard pain management program that was either solely provided or combined with a supplemental cognitive-behavioral depression management were examined in a consecutive sample of n = 84. Patients in both groups showed long-term beneficial effects in pain coping measures. Thus, the standard rehabilitation revealed specific and long-term effects on pain coping. However, further evidence suggests that diagnosis-specific psychotherapeutic treatment elements are required to improve psychological symptoms.