Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) - Based Treatment Development for Cancer Patients Treated for Pain

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) - Based Treatment Development for Cancer Patients Treated for Pain

The purpose of this research study is to develop a psychological treatment for patients with cancer, focused on the psychological symptoms they experience during opioid therapy.

This research study is a treatment development study, which is the first time investigators are developing this psychological intervention in patients with cancer, on opioid therapy. This study is being conducted to develop a psychological intervention designed specifically for individuals with cancer. The purpose of this study is to determine how practical this intervention is, to determine patient satisfaction, and test the study procedures.

Inclusion Criteria:

• must be at least 18 years of age
• speak and comprehend English sufficiently to be able to complete the study procedures and participate in psychotherapy in English
• have been diagnosed with cancer
• have an estimated survival time ≥6 months (as approximated by palliative care clinic staff)
• score ≥4 on the Opioid Risk Tool (Webster & Webster, 2005) with psychosocial distress as one of the positive items.

Exclusion Criteria:

• untreated bipolar disorder
• untreated psychotic disorders
• untreated borderline personality disorder
• have an estimated survival time ≤6 months (as approximated by clinic staff).