NCT00672880: Self-System Therapy for depression with chronic back pain

NCT00672880 tested Self-System Therapy for depression in people with chronic low-back pain, against low-back-pain education and standard care. The intervention used structured work on personal goals and self-discrepancies rather than a drug or spinal procedure. 1 2

The original paper states that 110 patients were randomized; nine withdrew before treatment, leaving 101 analyzed: 28 Self-System Therapy, 37 education and 36 standard care. These denominators should not be described as 101 randomized. Treatment involved twelve 90-minute sessions over approximately 16 weeks. 2

Mean Beck Depression Inventory scores changed from 15.66 to 10.72 in the therapy group, 19.20 to 16.47 with education, and 17.40 to 16.08 with standard care immediately after treatment. Six-month values were 11.75, 17.05 and 15.60, respectively. The authors found greater depression improvement with Self-System Therapy, associated with changes in self-discrepancy. 2

The result concerns depressive symptoms in this chronic-pain population. It does not establish reversal of the underlying spinal disorder or that every pain or disability outcome improved to the same degree. 2

Sources

1. ClinicalTrials.gov — ClinicalTrials.gov — NCT00672880. Original registration; establishes the exact study identity and registered methods.Original study registration · Original record checked against the registry API. Checked 2026-10-10. Registration and current registry fields do not by themselves establish efficacy. Historical details in the article retain their stated date. Supplied note: ClinicalTrials.gov — NCT00672880. Original registration; establishes the exact study identity and registered methods.

2. Waters et al. (2015), original randomized Self-System Therapy report, PMID 26079438. Full text supplies participant flow, treatment groups and depression measurements — Waters et al. (2015), original randomized Self-System Therapy report, PMID 26079438. Full text supplies participant flow, treatment groups and depression measurements.Cited supporting source · Link and description preserved from supplied research. Checked in supplied research dated 2026-10-10. Source description comes from supplied research; underlying page was not independently re-read for this update.