The Lighten Your Life Program: An Educational Support Group Intervention That Used a Mobile App for Managing Depressive Symptoms and Chronic Pain

Abstract

An educational support group, The Lighten Your Life Program, was developed for adult patients who self-reported depressive symptoms and had one or more comorbid chronic pain condition. Using a mixed methods, pilot design, the purpose of the current study was to test the feasibility of The Lighten Your Life Program, which combined depression education with in-person group support every 2 weeks. The Lighten Your Life Program also encouraged the use of Pacifica, a mobile application (app), as a self-management tool. Another aim was to explore what effect The Lighten Your Life Program had on decreasing depression severity. Statistically significant differences in Patient Health Questionnaire-9 scores were noted over time. Educational support group programs and the use of mobile apps, such as Pacifica, could be beneficial in helping individuals self-manage their depressive symptoms and chronic pain condition. [ Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 57 (7), 39–47.]

Risk Factors for Self-Harm Ideation Among Persons Treated With Opioids for Chronic Low Back Pain

“…The advent of telemedicine and mobile health technologies has offered ways to help monitor and assess patient treatment response, adherence to opioid therapy recommendations, and mood among persons with chronic pain. [67][68][69] Promoting strategies that encourage adults to communicate with their clinicians and offer ways to track behavior between clinic visits is seen as an important way to maintain close contact with those who are not coping well with and are impacted most by chronic pain. 70,71 There has been a call for better pain education among providers, 72 increased use of social media, incorporation of online peer education and support, 73,74 and daily monitoring of persons with opioid-treated chronic pain using innovative technology.…”

“…One way to reduce the risk of overdose and suicide is careful monitoring of those who present with significant risk factors highlighted in this study. The advent of telemedicine and mobile health technologies has offered ways to help monitor and assess patient treatment response, adherence to opioid therapy recommendations, and mood among persons with chronic pain 67–69 . Promoting strategies that encourage adults to communicate with their clinicians and offer ways to track behavior between clinic visits is seen as an important way to maintain close contact with those who are not coping well with and are impacted most by chronic pain 70,71 .…”