The effectiveness of intensive and short-term dynamic psychotherapy on attachment styles, somatization and health anxiety in patients with chronic pain

Background and purpose: Long-term pain experience and beliefs related to pain are key factors for understanding the patient's pain experience and psychological distress, and dynamic therapy can play an effective role in improving psychological symptoms. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of determining the effectiveness of intensive and short-term dynamic psychotherapy on attachment styles, somatization and health anxiety in patients with chronic pain. Methods: The research method was semi-experimental with a pre-test-post-test design and follow-up with a control group. The research population was all chronic pain patients referred to pain clinics in Tehran in ۲۰۲۳. ۳۰ people were randomly selected and assigned to the experimental group (۱۵ people) and the control group (۱۵ people). The experimental group received ۱۵ ۹۰-minute sessions of dynamic therapy, while the control group did not receive any intervention. Two groups were evaluated with attachment styles, somatization and health anxiety. Two-way analysis of variance with repeated measurements was used to analyze the data. Results: The average scores of attachment styles, physicalization and health anxiety before the intervention were ۷۲.۲۵, ۵۸.۳۶, ۲۴.۰۸ in the treatment group and ۷۲.۱۲, ۵۹.۱۶, ۲۳.۵۲ in the control group respectively. P < ۰.۰۵), but after the intervention, the average scores of secure attachment style in the treatment group increased significantly compared to the control group, and the avoidant, ambivalent, health anxiety and somatization styles decreased (۰.۰۱ /۰>P). Conclusion: The results of the study indicated the effect of intensive and short-term dynamic therapy on the improvement of psychological symptoms in the experimental group. With caution, it is recommended to use this intervention as a complementary treatment in chronic pain patients.Background and purpose: Long-term pain experience and beliefs related to pain are key factors for understanding the patient's pain experience and psychological distress, and dynamic therapy can play an effective role in improving psychological symptoms. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of determining the effectiveness of intensive and short-term dynamic psychotherapy on attachment styles, somatization and health anxiety in patients with chronic pain. Methods: The research method was semi-experimental with a pre-test-post-test design and follow-up with a control group. The research population was all chronic pain patients referred to pain clinics in Tehran in ۲۰۲۳. ۳۰ people were randomly selected and assigned to the experimental group (۱۵ people) and the control group (۱۵ people). The experimental group received ۱۵ ۹۰-minute sessions of dynamic therapy, while the control group did not receive any intervention. Two groups were evaluated with attachment styles, somatization and health anxiety. Two-way analysis of variance with repeated measurements was used to analyze the data. Results: The average scores of attachment styles, physicalization and health anxiety before the intervention were ۷۲.۲۵, ۵۸.۳۶, ۲۴.۰۸ in the treatment group and ۷۲.۱۲, ۵۹.۱۶, ۲۳.۵۲ in the control group respectively. P < ۰.۰۵), but after the intervention, the average scores of secure attachment style in the treatment group increased significantly compared to the control group, and the avoidant, ambivalent, health anxiety and somatization styles decreased (۰.۰۱ /۰>P). Conclusion: The results of the study indicated the effect of intensive and short-term dynamic therapy on the improvement of psychological symptoms in the experimental group. With caution, it is recommended to use this intervention as a complementary treatment in chronic pain patients.