The Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions in Psychoeducational Groups on Distress Tolerance and Pain Intensity in Individuals with Musculoskeletal Pain

Bolourani, Atefeh; Jarareh, Jamshid; Ghodrati, Sima

doi:10.48311/ijmpp.2026.110579.0

The Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions in Psychoeducational Groups on Distress Tolerance and Pain Intensity in Individuals with Musculoskeletal Pain

Document Type : Original Research

Authors

Atefeh Bolourani ¹

Jamshid Jarareh ²

Sima Ghodrati ³

¹ Department of Counseling. Faculty of Humanities, West TehranBranch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

² Department of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University, Lavizan ,Tehran, Iran

³ Department of Counseling. Faculty of Humanities, West Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

10.48311/ijmpp.2026.110579.0

Abstract

Aims: Chronic pain is a global challenge and one of the most common reasons for seeking medical care, affecting a significant portion of the population. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral interventions within psychoeducational groups on distress tolerance and pain intensity in individuals with musculoskeletal pain.
Method and Materials: This quasi-experimental study employed a pretest-posttest design with a control group. The statistical population consisted of all individuals with chronic musculoskeletal pain referred to the Al-Zahra Charity Clinic between March and June 2024. Using purposive sampling, 30 individuals were selected and randomly assigned to either an experimental group (n=15) or a control group (n=15). The experimental group received nine sessions of virtual group cognitive-behavioral intervention, while the control group received no intervention. Research instruments included the Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS) and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 23 and Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA).
Findings: The findings indicated that cognitive-behavioral interventions led to a significant increase in distress tolerance and a significant decrease in pain intensity in the experimental group compared to the control group (p < .05). Furthermore, the intervention's effect on distress tolerance was more substantial than its effect on reducing pain intensity.
Conclusion: Based on the results, group-based cognitive-behavioral interventions can be used as an effective non-pharmacological method to improve distress tolerance and reduce pain intensity in patients with musculoskeletal pain. These findings highlight the importance of integrating psychological treatments into comprehensive pain management programs.

Keywords

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Distress Tolerance

Pain Intensity

Musculoskeletal Pain

Group Psychoeducation

Subjects