Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy for Persistent Pain After Orthopedic Trauma

This study is testing a therapy called Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy (EAET) for people who have ongoing pain after an orthopedic injury (like a broken bone or amputation). EAET helps you become more aware of uncomfortable feelings like anger or sadness that might be linked to past stressful events, and then learn healthy ways to express them. The main goal of this study is to see if it's practical to enroll and keep people in this therapy, and if people will join. You might be able to join if you are 18 or older and have had a severe orthopedic injury. The study plans to enroll 30 people, but its current status is unclear.

Study design
This is a single-arm study, meaning everyone receives the same treatment, and plans to enroll 30 participants. It is not specified what phase the study is in.
What's involved
You would attend weekly EAET treatment sessions and complete questionnaires and sensory tests before, during, and after treatment.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
The study will track feasibility measures for 24 months.

AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.

NCT05989230

Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy for People With Persistent Pain Following Orthopedic Trauma

Recruiting
NAAges 18+InterventionalTreatment
Johns Hopkins University
~30 participants
Updated 2026-06-18 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy

At a glance

Recruiting sites
1 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Feasibility of Enrollment
Measured over 24 months
+8 more outcomes measured
Orthopaedic Trauma
Chronic Pain
Musculoskeletal Injury

NCT05989230

Where you'd take part

This study runs at 1 site. They're the same protocol — you choose where, and that choice sets who your contact draft is addressed to.

  • Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

    Baltimore, Marylandstudy coordinator listed

    Recruiting

Sites open and close at different times, so the status above is per site — it can differ from the study's overall status.

  • Rachel Aaron, PhD · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · Johns Hopkins University

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

One or more acute orthopedic injuries
The patient sustained an orthopedic injury including, but not limited to:
Pelvic or acetabulum fracture
Open/displaced comminuted fracture of long bones
Upper extremity injuries with a major nerve involvement
Injuries with significant injuries to major blood vessels
Traumatic amputation of big toe, thumb, or proximal to the wrist or ankle.
Initial admission to the trauma or orthopedic center/service of the participating hospital OR all necessary screening and patient characteristic data available in medical record (determination based on information available at time of enrollment)
18 years old or older
Received operative fixation for at least one acute orthopaedic injury at a participating hospital. Patients should be recruited at the time of primary injury, not revision or complication surgery
Average Brief Pain Inventory Score \> 3/10
Presence of pain most days (\> 3 days/week) for past three months

Exclusion

peri-prosthetic fractures of the femur (regardless of etiology)
non-ambulatory due to an associated spinal cord injury
non-ambulatory pre-injury
currently pregnant
moderate or severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), as evidenced by intracranial hemorrhage present on admission CT
major amputation(s) of the upper or lower extremities
non-English speaking
Likely to have severe problems with maintaining follow-up for any of the following reasons:
The patient has been diagnosed with a severe psychiatric conditions
The patient has current alcohol and/or drug addiction based on medical record or patient self-report.
The patient is intellectually challenged without adequate family support
The patient lives outside the hospital's catchment area
The patient follow-up is planned at another medical center
The patient is a prisoner
The patient is homeless
Other
  • Feasibility of Enrollment24 months

    Feasibility of enrollment will be measured by percentage of eligible patients who enroll in the study.

  • Feasibility of Retention24 months

    Feasibility of retention will be measured by percentage of participants who are retained over the duration of the study.

  • Feasibility of Recruitment24 months

    Feasibility of Recruitment will be measured by the enrollment of a full sample within two years of the start of the enrollment period.

  • Percentage of patient session attendance8 weeks

    Percentage of patients who complete 6 of 8 total EAET sessions.

  • Therapist Fidelity (Questionnaire developed by study team)8 Weeks

    Percentage of treatment fidelity across all treatment sessions (study therapist self-report using questionnaire developed by study team).

  • Percentage of patients who indicate patient satisfaction and acceptability8 Weeks

    Percentage of patients who indicate treatment acceptability on the Treatment Evaluation Inventory-Short Form. This is a 9-item measure and participants respond using a 1-5 point likert scale for a possible total range of 9-45. Higher scores indicate greater satisfaction and acceptability.

  • Feasibility of Study Assessment1 Week

    Measured by percent of pre-treatment assessments completed by participants.

  • Feasibility of Study Assessment8 Weeks

    Measured by percent of post-treatment assessments completed by participants.

  • Feasibility of Study Assessment12 months

    Measured by percent of follow-up assessments completed by participants.