hope studies central

pain research

BHFCP: Being Hopeful in the Face of Chronic Pain

BHFCP is a 6-session positive psychology program to enhance hope and strengths for people with chronic physical pain. The program was developed by Wendy Edey, M.Ed., R. Psych. and Rachel Stege, M.Ed., R. Psych. with the aim of:

Increasing the emotional wellness of people who are being treated for chronic physical pain.
Restoring a sense of empowerment and strength-based action that chronic pain can take away.
Using hope strategies and positive psychology tools to explore issues that make life difficult for people with chronic pain.
Bringing people with chronic pain together in an environment that is fun and positive.

Through participation in BHFCP, the participants were able to:

Learn from others and share what they knew about dealing with chronic pain.
Discover resources that were available and explore helpful tips for staying hopeful when they were in pain.
Start feeling more confident about their ability to deal with their day-to-day life.
Learn strategies to access and explore their strengths, and enhance their hope.

Results of the study found that:

Participants in the program experienced higher levels of hope.
Participation in the program led to lower pain catastrophizing and greater life engagement for the participants.

Further, participants in the program indicate that they learned to:

Make hope more active in their lives.
Connect with others in a hopeful way.
Be imaginative with ideas, with pictures, with hope.
Use their strengths and wisdom to help themselves and others in the group.
Share the challenges of chronic pain, while at the same time finding new ways to smile, laugh and have a little fun.

To learn more about this project, please refer to our reference list below.

Publications

Larsen, D., Stege, R., King, R., & Egeli, N. (2018). The hope collage activity: An arts-based group intervention for people with chronic pain. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 46(6), 722-737. https://doi.org/10.1080/03069885.2018.1453046

Edey, W., King, R., Stege, R., & Larsen, D. (2016). The “Being hopeful in the face of chronic pain” program: A psychotherapy group for people experiencing chronic pain. Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 41(2), 161-187. https://doi.org/10.1080/01933922.2016.1146378

Larsen, D., King, R., Stege, R., & Egeli, N. (2015). Hope in a strengths-based group activity for individuals with chronic pain. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 28(2), 175-199. https://doi.org/10.1080/09515070.2015.1007444

Howell, A., Jacobson, R., & Larsen, D. (2015). Enhanced psychological functioning among chronic pain patients engaged in hope-focused group counseling. The Counseling Psychologist (Special Issue on Positive Psychology). https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000014551421

Presentations

King, R., Murdoch, K., & Larsen, D. (March, 2016). A hope and strengths group for people with chronic pain: The group structure and qualitative findings. American Counseling Association/Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Annual Conventions. Montreal, Quebec.

Larsen, D., King, R., Stege, R., & Egeli, N. (2015). Hope in a positive psychology group intervention for individuals with chronic pain. Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association, Niagara Falls, ON, May 19-23.

Larsen, D., King, R., Stege, R., & Egeli, N. (2014). Clients’ experiences of hope in a positive psychology focused group intervention for individuals with chronic pain: An interpersonal process recall study. Canadian Psychological Association Annual Convention, Vancouver, BC, Jun 5-7.

Jacobson, R., Howell, A., & Larsen, D. (2013). Effectiveness of hope-focused group psychotherapy for chronic pain. Canadian Psychological Association 74th Annual Convention. Quebec City, QC, June 13-15, 2013.

Jacobson, R., Howell, A., & Larsen, D. (2013). Effectiveness of hope-focused group psychotherapy for chronic pain. Psychologists’ Association of Alberta Biennial Conference. Edmonton, AB., May 30-31, 2013.

Egeli, N., & Larsen, D. (Sept. 2011). Client experiences during hope-focused therapeutic activities in a chronic pain group. North America Society for Psychotherapy Research, Banff, AB.

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