OUTPATIENT COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL THERAPY WITH AMITRIPTYLINE FOR CHRONIC NONMALIGNANT PAIN - A COMPARATIVE-STUDY WITH 6-MONTH FOLLOW-UP

A study was carried out in a multidisciplinary pain clinic with the pu rpose of comparing the effectiveness of outpatient cognitive-behaviour al therapy (CBT) with amitriptyline (AMI) to that of supportive therap y with AMI. The treatments were given weekly over 8 weeks. Global and continuous outcome measures were used. Analysis was by chi-square for global data and MANOVA with baseline scores as covariants for continuo us variables. No significant differences could be demonstrated. The sc ores over a 6-month follow-up period suggested a delayed positive adva ntage for CBT but this only approached and did not achieve statistical significance. The findings are discussed.