Helping Lupus Patients Manage Fibromyalgia Symptoms Through Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy (EAET)

Part of paid clinical trials in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Sponsor
University of Utah
Study ID
NCT07282392
Status
Recruiting
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Conditions

  • Chronic Widespread Pain
  • Fibromyalgia (FM)
  • Lupus

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
18 Years - 65 Years
Healthy Volunteers
Not accepted

Interventions

  • Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy (EAET) — BEHAVIORAL
    EAET is a novel psychotherapy based on the well-supported finding that adverse, stressful, or traumatic life experiences result in maladaptive emotional experiences that can trigger or amplify pain and other symptoms. EAET showed promising results in fibromyalgia and migraines, as well as musculoskeletal pain, and was found to be more efficacious than CBT, the recommended treatment for chronic pain.

Study Details

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a psychotherapy intervention works to relieve widespread pain in patients with lupus. The main questions it aims to answer are: Is the psychotherapy treatment safe for lupus patients? Are lupus patients able to complete the treatment? Can the treatment help improve chronic pain and other symptoms in lupus patients? Researchers will compare the treatment to a control (participants who will continue their medical treatment but will not receive psychotherapy for the time frame of the treatment) to see if the psychotherapy treatment works to relieve widespread pain and other lupus-related symptoms. Participants will: Fill out questionnaires before and after the treatment. Participate in 8 weekly treatment sessions, 2 hours per session, delivered via Zoom from their own home. Keep a list of medications and monitor any changes in their medication regimen.

Key Dates

Start date
Dec 1, 2025
Status verified
Dec 2025
Primary completion
Oct 15, 2028
Completion
Nov 4, 2028

Study Design

Enrollment
30 participants (estimated)
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT

Arms

  • Experimental: Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy
    The treatment will be conducted via HIPAA-compliant video telemedicine (Zoom) in small groups of patients for eight weekly sessions, 2 hours per session. Each session will use an educational lecture, discussion, in-class experiential exercises, and homework assignments. During sessions, participants will be encouraged to identify their stressors and experiences, and to express their avoided or suppressed emotions, using exercises such as emotional disclosure, role-playing, and the "empty chair" technique. Participants will be given homework assignments to complete between sessions, including expressive writing, identifying stressors and avoided emotions, and practicing healthy communication skills.
  • No Intervention: Wait list control
    Participants assigned to the waitlist control condition will be assessed at baseline and at a time matched to EAET post-treatment. All interested participants will be offered the opportunity to receive the EAET treatment once their WL period is completed. Those who opt to receive the treatment will be required to complete another set of assessments post-treatment.

Primary Outcome Measure

Widespread pain index at baseline [ Time Frame: From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks ]

Central Contacts

Locations (1)

FacilityCityStateZIPSite coordinators
University of UtahSalt Lake CityUtah84112
Dan Kaufmann
[email protected]
8019138091
Dalia Sriwi, MD
[email protected]
801-581-7724

Find similar trials in Salt Lake City, UT

By condition
Lupus (SLE)
By specialty
RheumatologyAutoimmune disease
By research site
University of Utah· Salt Lake City, UT

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