DOI: 10.12688/hrbopenres.14455.1 ISSN: 2515-4826

The mental and physical health impact of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy on chronic pain – a scoping review protocol

Ana Akhtar, Olivia F. O’Leary, Paul Corcoran, Muhammad Fahmi Ismail, Eric Kelleher, Ella Arensman
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Background Chronic pain constitutes a major global public health burden, associated with considerable variation in prevalence, disability, quality of life, and mental health outcomes. While cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is widely used in the management of chronic pain, its role in addressing mental and physical health symptoms and suicidality in this population remains unclear. This scoping review aims to systematically map the mental and physical health outcomes assessed in CBT interventions for chronic pain, and to highlight what CBT changes and to identify psychological factors that may explain variability in suicidality and self-harm risk across this population. Methods This scoping review will be conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology, and findings will be reported following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. A comprehensive search will be conducted using all relevant electronic databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and PsycINFO. Studies will be eligible if they include individuals with chronic pain receiving CBT interventions. Data extraction will include study characteristics, participant demographics, and reported mental and physical health outcomes with specific attention to suicidality-related outcomes, including suicidal ideation, self-harm, and suicide attempts. The review will also examine proposed psychological mechanisms underlying CBT intervention effects. Results This review will provide the first comprehensive mapping of evidence at the intersection of chronic pain, CBT interventions, and mental and physical health outcomes, with emphasis on suicidality. Findings will be presented using a descriptive summary and accompanied by a narrative synthesis of results. Conclusion T his review will provide a comprehensive overview of the current literature, identify mechanisms and psychological processes linked to suicide risk, to inform future research directions, including the development of targeted interventions for individuals with chronic pain.

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