Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
5.2
2.9
Journals
JCM
Special Issues
Integrating Psychological Science into Chronic Pain Management: Emerging Approaches and...
jcm-logo
Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for JCM Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Integrating Psychological Science into Chronic Pain Management: Emerging Approaches and Insights

A special issue of Journal of Clinical Medicine (ISSN 2077-0383). This special issue belongs to the section "Mental Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 February 2026 | Viewed by 1832

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Scott G. Ravyts

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Psychology, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, USA
Interests: psychosocial interventions for chronic pain; insomnia and chronic pain; trauma and chronic pain
Dr. Margot De Kooning

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Faculty of Mechatronics and Medical Engineering, University of Applied Sciences Ulm, Germany
2. Pain in Motion Research Group (PAIN), Department of Physiotherapy, Human Physiology and Anatomy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
Interests: physiotherapy; chronic pain; rehabilitation; pain assessment

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Chronic pain is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide and is often associated with significant physical, psychological, and social consequences. While chronic pain has long been recognized as having biopsychosocial components, our understanding of how psychological factors contribute to its onset and maintenance has continued to evolve in recent years. In line with this advancement, new psychosocial interventions for chronic pain are beginning to emerge and appear to yield promising results, not only for reducing emotional distress but also pain severity and intensity among sufferers of this condition.

This Special Issue will highlight advances in our understanding of the role of psychological factors in the onset and development of chronic pain, underscoring recent innovations in psychosocial interventions.

We encourage the submission of original research and review articles on the following topics:

  • Psychosocial risk factors for the development of chronic pain;
  • The role of psychosocial factors in perpetuating chronic pain symptoms;
  • Advances in the psychosocial assessment of chronic pain;
  • Recent innovations in psychosocial interventions for chronic pain.

Dr. Scott G. Ravyts
Dr. Margot De Kooning
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Clinical Medicine is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • chronic primary pain
  • nociplastic pain
  • coping strategies
  • depression
  • anxiety
  • trauma

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

10 pages, 198 KB  
Article
Effects of Cognitive Behavioral Treatment-Based Withdrawal Intervention in Patients with Long-Term Opioid Use for Chronic Pain
by C. Paul van Wilgen
J. Clin. Med. 2025, 14(21), 7640; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14217640 - 28 Oct 2025
Viewed by 464
Abstract
Objectives: Prolonged opioid use leads to tolerance and hyperalgesia in patients with chronic pain. Apart from an increase in pain, opioid use also leads to several other adverse effects. Nevertheless, the prevalence of opioid use as a treatment for chronic pain remains [...] Read more.
Objectives: Prolonged opioid use leads to tolerance and hyperalgesia in patients with chronic pain. Apart from an increase in pain, opioid use also leads to several other adverse effects. Nevertheless, the prevalence of opioid use as a treatment for chronic pain remains high, and opioid withdrawal interventions deserve more attention. This study evaluates the effects of a guideline for an opioid withdrawal intervention method that is nested in cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT) and is specifically for patients with a history of long-term opioid use and chronic pain. Methods: We conducted a clinical, exploratory, and mixed-methods study involving pre- and post-measurements on opioid use and health-related quality of life (SF-36), as well as a qualitative analysis of patient experiences (interviews) to evaluate the program. Results: A total of 29 patients were included in the study; 23 of these patients no longer used opioids, and some continued withdrawal under the guidance of their general practitioner. Quality of life improved in all domains, including the amount of pain experienced. No patients reported increased pain levels, and most experienced significantly fewer adverse side effects. Patient satisfaction was high, with no negative long-term side effects of the intervention reported. Conclusions: In light of the results of this study, it is important to address opioid use in patients with chronic pain. There are strong arguments in favor of motivating patients to withdraw from using opioids to treat chronic pain, which can be achieved in combination with CBT. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrating Psychological Science into Chronic Pain Management: Emerging Approaches and Insights)
21 pages, 1193 KB  
Article
Planning and Problem-Solving Impairments in Fibromyalgia: The Predictive Role of Updating, Inhibition, and Mental Flexibility
by Marisa Fernández-Sánchez, Pilar Martín-Plasencia, Roberto Fernandes-Magalhaes, Paloma Barjola, Ana Belén del Pino, David Martínez-Íñigo, Irene Peláez and Francisco Mercado
J. Clin. Med. 2025, 14(15), 5263; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14155263 - 25 Jul 2025
Viewed by 973
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a chronic pain condition in which executive function (EF) alterations have been reported, though strikingly, relationships between simple executive functions (EFs) (updating, inhibition, and mental flexibility) and high-order ones, such as planning and problem-solving, have not been [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a chronic pain condition in which executive function (EF) alterations have been reported, though strikingly, relationships between simple executive functions (EFs) (updating, inhibition, and mental flexibility) and high-order ones, such as planning and problem-solving, have not been addressed yet in this population. This research aimed to firstly explore how low-level EFs play a role in planning and problem-solving performances. Methods: Thirty FMS patients and thirty healthy participants completed a series of neuropsychological tests evaluating low- and high-order EFs. Clinical and emotional symptoms were assessed with self-report questionnaires, while pain and fatigue levels were measured with numerical scales. Importantly, specific drug restrictions were accounted for. Results: Patients scored lower in most neurocognitive tests, with statistical significance noted only for visuospatial working memory (WM) and two planning and problem-solving tests. Pain, fatigue, and sleep disturbances showed important effects on most of the cognitive outcomes. Multiple regression analyses reflected that planning and problem-solving were successfully and partially predicted by updating, inhibition, and mental flexibility (though differences emerged between tasks). Conclusions: Our study confirms the presence of cognitive impairments in FMS, especially in high-order EFs, supporting patients’ complaints. Clinical symptoms play a role in FMS dyscognition but do not explain it completely. For the first time, as far as the authors know, simple EF influences on planning and problem-solving tests have been described for FMS patients. These results might help in unraveling the dysexecutive profile in FMS to design more adjusted treatment options. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrating Psychological Science into Chronic Pain Management: Emerging Approaches and Insights)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-2
Back to TopTop