The Efficacy of Cognitive-behavioral Therapy on Psychological Distress and Coping Strategies of Employees With Chronic Low Back Pain

Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is one of the most common reasons for confining daily activities and functional disability at work, which can reduce people’s mental health. The research was conducted to assess the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in the psychological distress and coping strategies of employees with CLBP.

The current research approach is a clinical trial with a pre-test-post-test design and a control group. The statistical population included employees of private offices suffering from CLBP in the 8 districts of Tehran City, Iran, in 2021. The study sample consisted of 30 patients with CLBP selected by the available sampling and randomly assigned to control (n=15) and experimental groups (n=15). The study tools included psychological distress and coping strategies. The experimental group received eight 90-minute sessions of CBT, but the control group did not receive any intervention. The obtained information was analyzed using multivariate covariance analysis using SPSS software, version 24.

The outcomes of the present study confirmed that CBT significantly reduces depression, anxiety, stress, and emotional and avoidance coping strategies in patients with CLBP (P<0.01). Also, CBT increased the problem-oriented coping strategy in the employees who received the treatment (P<0.01).

The studies conducted showed the efficacy of CBT on depression, anxiety, stress, and coping styles of CLBP. Considering the impact of mental health in reducing the physical and social consequences of CLBP, it is necessary to pay special attention to the psychological variables of employees in addition to medical treatments.