An interventional study of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in Chronic Non-Malignant Pain (Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain, Chronic Widespread Pain), sponsored by GIFT University. Active, not recruiting at 1 site in Pakistan. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 60 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-07-16.
Sponsored by GIFT University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
Help build ClinicalTrials.gg — short surveys, remote interviews or testing, in your language. Take part →
Among 18 studies in Chronic Pain with a site in Pakistan — 7 open to participants now, 9 under way, none of them phase 3. Chronic Pain · Pakistan.
Among the 18 studies in Chronic Pain with a site in Pakistan, this one is the 7th largest by enrollment of the 17 interventional ones that give a count, is one of 3 that started in 2026, is one of 17 with no phase, and was the 18th registered.
3,227 studies on the registry are indexed under Chronic Pain; 728 are open to participants now.
Browse Chronic Pain studies →7 of the 18 studies in Chronic Pain with a site in Pakistan are open now. Recruiting first, the newest first:
IQRA University · Sites in Pakistan
Ages 20–45
Foundation University Islamabad · Sites in Pakistan
Ages 40–65
Riphah International University · Sites in Pakistan
Ages 15–40
Foundation University Islamabad · Sites in Pakistan
Ages 40–65
Dow University of Health Sciences · Sites in Pakistan
Ages 30–50
A study can be open while its sites in Pakistan have not opened yet or have stopped. Only those recruiting at a site in Pakistan →
Of the 486 Chronic Pain studies recruiting now, 239 (49%) set no upper age limit and 173 (36%) stop at 75 or younger; 43 take children under 18; 64 take healthy volunteers.
This study: 18 Years to 60 Years · all sexes · no healthy volunteers.
The full table on the hub →This tab as a report to print or save as PDF → With an account.
18 studies; the count open now beside each. This study's row is marked.
First in 2020; this study’s year is marked. 3 started in 2026.
This study's enrollment of 60 is close to the median of 60 across 2,387 interventional studies indexed under Chronic Pain.
Median enrollment 44 across the 17 interventional studies, 119 across the 1 observational. Of the 6 that completed or were terminated, 0 (0%) have results posted.
This tab as a report to print or save as PDF → With an account.
None of the 18 has an industry lead sponsor. The 9 most frequent:
GIFT University is the lead sponsor of 8 studies on the registry; none are open to participants now.
GIFT University has 1 study filed under Chronic Pain — fewer than ten, so there is no comparison to draw.
1 of the studies in Chronic Pain with a site in Pakistan that are under way reach primary completion within a year, 0 of them phase 3. Phase 3 first, then by date:
| Study | Primary completion |
|---|---|
| NCT07280975Lady Reading Hospital, PakistanComparing Polyglactin vs Polypropylene Sutures for Rectus Sheath Closure | 2027-06-30 |
Add it to your calendar (.ics) → With an account.
Among the 18 studies in Chronic Pain with a site in Pakistan, from their registry updates:
Nothing recorded among them since 2026-09-25.
This tab as a report to print or save as PDF → With an account.
This study is evaluating whether Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps adults with chronic non-malignant pain (pain lasting 3 months or longer that is not caused by cancer). Sixty adult participants (ages 18-60) were randomly placed into one of three groups: ACT, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), or Treatment as Usual (TAU, standard medical care only). Both ACT and CBT are delivered over 10 weekly sessions by a trained therapist. ACT focuses on helping people accept pain-related thoughts and feelings, become less controlled by unhelpful thinking patterns, and take action toward things that matter to them despite pain. CBT focuses on changing unhelpful thoughts about pain and building coping skills such as pacing and relaxation. The TAU group continues usual medical care without added psychological treatment. Participants complete questionnaires before and after treatment measuring pain intensity, pain acceptance, pain-related disability, psychological flexibility, catastrophic thinking about pain, anxiety, depression, and quality of life. The goal is to find out whether ACT works as well as, or better than, CBT, and whether either treatment works better than standard care alone.
Chronic non-malignant pain (CNMP) is associated with significant psychological distress, functional impairment, and reduced quality of life, and pharmacological treatment alone often provides limited relief. This study uses a three-arm, single-blind randomized controlled trial with a pretest-posttest parallel-group design to compare Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) against Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT, active comparator) and Treatment as Usual (TAU, control).
Sixty adults (aged 18-60) with a physician-confirmed diagnosis of chronic non-malignant musculoskeletal or widespread pain (duration ≥3 months) were enrolled using purposive sampling and randomly allocated to ACT, CBT, or TAU (n=20 per group) using manual simple randomization (fishbowl method). Eligible participants scored ≥4 on the Numerical Rating Scale (pain intensity), ≥4 on the Brief Pain Inventory interference subscale, and ≥20 on the Pain Catastrophizing Scale, and were willing/able to attend all sessions. Individuals with severe psychiatric disorders, severe cognitive/neurological impairment, concurrent structured psychological treatment for pain, or unstable medical conditions were excluded.
The ACT intervention, delivered over 10 weekly sessions using a manual-based protocol adapted for chronic pain, targets the six core processes of the psychological flexibility model: acceptance, cognitive defusion, present-moment awareness, self-as-context, values clarification, and committed action. The CBT intervention, also delivered over 10 weekly sessions, targets maladaptive pain-related cognitions and behaviors through cognitive restructuring, behavioral activation, activity pacing, relaxation training, problem-solving, and coping skills. The TAU group continues routine medical/pharmacological care without structured psychological intervention.
Outcome assessors are blinded to group allocation; participants and therapists could not be blinded given the nature of the interventions. Outcomes are assessed at baseline and post-intervention using the Numerical Rating Scale (pain intensity), Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire (pain acceptance), Brief Pain Inventory (pain interference), Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (psychological flexibility), Pain Catastrophizing Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and WHOQOL-BREF (quality of life). Data collection is complete for the majority of participants; a small number of participants are currently in their final follow-up sessions before post-intervention assessment.
The study aims to (1) evaluate within-group change in ACT and CBT from pretest to posttest across all outcomes; (2) compare ACT versus CBT on post-intervention outcomes, with primary focus on pain acceptance, psychological flexibility, and pain interference; (3) examine whether change in psychological flexibility predicts change in pain interference and catastrophizing across both treatment groups; (4) compare ACT and CBT on anxiety, depression, and quality of life; and (5) compare ACT and CBT against TAU on all outcome measures. Findings are expected to clarify the comparative efficacy and mechanism of action of ACT relative to an established active treatment, contributing evidence for non-pharmacological, mechanism-informed pain management, particularly within an under-studied Pakistani population.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Chronic non-malignant musculoskeletal pain or chronic widespread pain persisting for at least three months, without evidence of malignant pathology Aged between 18 and 60 years Current pain severity of ≥4 on the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) Pain-related functional interference of ≥4 on the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) interference subscale Pain catastrophizing score of ≥20 on the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) Availability and willingness to attend all intervention sessions (10 weekly sessions for either ACT or CBT) Diagnosis medically confirmed by a qualified physician (e.g., orthopedic consultant or pain specialist) prior to inclusion
Exclusion Criteria:
Presence of severe psychiatric disorders, including but not limited to psychotic disorders, schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder Severe cognitive impairment or neurological disorders that may interfere with understanding or completing study assessments Concurrent participation in other structured psychological interventions for chronic pain (e.g., CBT, ACT) Uncontrolled or unstable medical conditions that may compromise safe participation in the study
Participants in this arm receive Acceptance and Commitment Therapy delivered over 10 weekly sessions using a manual-based protocol adapted for chronic pain. The intervention targets six core processes: acceptance, cognitive defusion, present-moment awareness, self-as-context, values clarification, and committed action.
Behavioral: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Participants in this arm receive Cognitive Behavioral Therapy delivered over 10 weekly sessions, targeting maladaptive pain-related cognitions and behaviors through cognitive restructuring, behavioral activation, activity pacing, relaxation training, problem-solving, and coping skills.
Behavioral: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Participants in this arm continue their routine medical/pharmacological care for chronic pain without receiving any structured psychological intervention as part of the study.
A 10-session, manual-based psychological intervention targeting psychological flexibility through acceptance, cognitive defusion, present-moment awareness, self-as-context, values clarification, and committed action, delivered weekly by a trained therapist.
A 10-session, manual-based psychological intervention targeting maladaptive pain-related cognitions and behaviors through cognitive restructuring, behavioral activation, activity pacing, relaxation training, problem-solving, and coping skills, delivered weekly by a trained therapist.
Change in Pain Acceptance
Pain acceptance will be assessed using the Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire (CPAQ), a 20-item self-report measure rated on a 7-point Likert scale (0 = "never true" to 6 = "always true"), with higher scores indicating greater acceptance.
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention (Week 10)
Change in Psychological Flexibility
Psychological flexibility will be assessed using the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II), a 7-item self-report measure rated on a 7-point Likert scale (1 = "never true" to 7 = "always true"), with higher scores indicating greater flexibility.
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention (Week 10)
Change in Pain Interference
Pain interference will be assessed using the Pain Interference subscale of the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), rated on a 0-10 scale, with higher scores indicating greater interference with daily functioning, mood, and social activities.
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention (Week 10)
Change in Pain Intensity
Pain intensity will be assessed using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), a single-item measure ranging from 0 ("no pain") to 10 ("worst imaginable pain").
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention (Week 10)
Change in Pain Catastrophizing
Pain catastrophizing will be assessed using the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), a 13-item measure rated on a 5-point scale, with higher scores indicating greater catastrophizing.
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention (Week 10)
Change in Anxiety Symptoms
Anxiety will be assessed using the anxiety subscale of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-A), a 7-item measure rated on a 0-3 scale.
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention (Week 10)
Change in Depression Symptoms
Depression will be assessed using the depression subscale of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-D), a 7-item measure rated on a 0-3 scale.
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention (Week 10)
Change in Quality of Life
Quality of life will be assessed using the WHOQOL-BREF, a self-report measure assessing physical, psychological, social, and environmental domains of quality of life.
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention (Week 10)
Plan to share: Undecided — A formal data-sharing plan has not yet been established. This is a student thesis-based clinical trial, and decisions regarding individual participant data (IPD) sharing will depend on institutional policy, ethical approval conditions, and participant consent terms at the time of study completion.
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
Started May 2026 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Jul 2026, 2 months after the start.
Of 1,295 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Chronic Pain, half reached primary completion within 20 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 9 and three quarters within 39. This study's planned 2 months is below that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 1,378 studies reached it within 20 months; a quarter within 9 and three quarters within 38.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
This study is active, not recruiting, as verified in Jul 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.
Sign in to followQuestions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.
Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.
Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.
GIFT University