Provoked Vestibulodynia
Conditions
Keywords
provoked vestibulodynia, dyspareunia, vulvodynia, mindfulness, cognitive behavioural therapy
Brief summary
This study aims to test the efficacy of a 4-session intervention (Group psychoeducational treatment) using a randomized study design. Participants will be randomized in to 'immediate treatment' or 'waitlist control'. Women in the wait-list condition will receive the 4-session IMPROVED treatment, just as women randomized to the experimental group, after the end of their wait-list period.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALGroup Psychoeducational Treatment
The Group Psychoeducational Treatment consists of treatment in small group format (8-9 women). Each session will be 2.25 hours in duration and there will be four, bi-weekly sessions over the course of 2 months. Session content includes education about chronic pain, PVD, stress and sexual response, mindfulness practices, and cognitive techniques to notice thought patterns that contribute to increased pain. Participants in the Waitlist Control Condition will receive this treatment at the end of the waitlist period (approximately 8 weeks)
OTHERWaitlist control
No treatment will be provided during the 8 week Waitlist control period
Sponsors
University of British Columbia
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
19 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* must be a patient at the British Columbia Centre for Sexual Medicine * diagnosis of provoked vestibulodynia (PVD) * 19 years of age or older * premenopausal * fluent in English
Exclusion criteria
* not at patient at the BC Centre for Sexual Medicine * unprovoked vulvar pain, other pathology causing pain with penetration, or chronic pelvic pain * being uncomfortable and unwilling to participate in a group setting.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Pain intensity | one week pre-treatment to one week post treatment | Pain intensity will be measured with the Q-tip test- a standard method of diagnosing vestibulodynia and assessing the pain associated with the diagnosis. The Q-tip test involves the physician lightly touching a Q-tip to specific areas around the vulvar vestibule while the patient indicates how much pain they feel on a scale from 0-10 in response to this provoked touch. |
| Long-term pain intensity | One week pre-treatment to 6 months post preatment | Pain intensity will be measured with the Q-tip test- a standard method of diagnosing vestibulodynia and assessing the pain associated with the diagnosis. The Q-tip test involves the physician lightly touching a Q-tip to specific areas around the vulvar vestibule while the patient indicates how much pain they feel on a scale from 0-10 in response to this provoked touch |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Sexual Distress | One week pre-treatment, one week post treatment and 6-months follow up | The investigators will examine women's self-reported sexual distress by administering the Female Sexual Distress Scale-Revised (Derogatis et al, 2008) |
Other
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Pain Catastrophising | one week pre-treatment, one week post treatment and 6-months follow-up | The investigators will examine women's self-reported pain catastrophising by administering the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (Sullivan, Bishop & Pivik, 1995). |
| Pain hypervigilance | one week pre-treatment, one week post treatment and 6-months follow-up | The investigators will examine women's self-report hypervigilance about pain by administering the Pain Vigilance and Awareness Questionnaire, McCracken, 1997) |
Countries
Canada
Outcome results
None listed