A new study led by UNSW Sydney and Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) shows that targeting emotional processing is key to treating and managing chronic pain.
The study, based on a randomised controlled trial led by Professor Sylvia Gustin and Dr Nell Norman-Nott from UNSW and NeuRA, found that enhancing the brain’s capacity for emotional processing through therapeutic intervention can effectively manage chronic pain.
The results, published in JAMA Network Open, highlight long-term improvements in quality of life.
Pain and Emotion Therapy, a novel eHealth intervention developed by the researchers, aims to retrain the brain by improving emotion regulation.
The eight-session group therapy, delivered via video conference across Australia, included an app and handbook for self-learning. Participants reported improved emotional regulation and a 10-point reduction on a 100-point pain scale after six months.
Chronic pain affects 30% of the global population and is linked to higher rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide. The therapy addresses emotion dysregulation, a key yet often overlooked contributor to chronic pain.
Participants reported the cycle of worsening pain and increasing negative emotions, with the therapy helping to calm emotional reactivity and increase positive emotional awareness. The trial supports integrating emotion regulation into chronic pain treatment, alongside traditional medications.
The therapy also improves accessibility for people in rural areas or with limited mobility by delivering treatment online. A larger clinical trial is planned for 2026, with researchers currently recruiting participants.
“This is a major improvement in how we understand and treat chronic pain,” says Prof. Gustin. “We must treat both the body and emotions together.”
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