Use of cognitive‐behavioral therapy in a nation‐wide Veterans Health Administration sample: The role of clinic, therapist, and patient factors

Abstract: ABSTRACT Objective Data Sources and Study Setting Study Design Data Collection Principal Findings Conclusions To examine the use of CBT‐CP (Cognitive‐behavioral therapy for chronic pain) by CBT‐CP‐trained therapists to treat patients with pain over a five‐year period (October 2015–February 2020).CBT‐CP is a core evidence‐based practice that is central to multidisciplinary chronic pain care. However, research suggests that CBT‐CP is underused. The current study used national Veterans Health Administration data to examine the use of CBT‐CP by CBT‐CP‐trained therapists to treat patients with pain over a five‐year period.Multilevel modeling was used to evaluate clinic, therapist, and patient‐level factors as predictors of CBT‐CP receipt.Administrative data on 37,514 patients seen at a national sample of Veterans Health Administration locations for pain were collected from the U.S. Veterans Health Administration central data repository.Results indicated 38.4% of patients with pain seen by a CBT‐CP‐trained therapist received CBT‐CP during the observation period. Patients were more likely to receive CBT‐CP if more time elapsed since their therapist received CBT‐CP training and if their therapist had a master's degree (vs. a doctorate). Patients with somatic symptom disorder and depressive disorders were more likely to receive CBT‐CP, while patients with comorbid personality disorders or substance use disorders were less likely to receive CBT‐CP. Patients seen in pain specialty, PTSD, biomedical, and mental health clinics were more likely to receive CBT‐CP than those not seen in these clinics.Findings suggest that the reach of CBT‐CP is substantively related to factors at each level. Future research is needed to better understand the therapy treatment decision‐making processes and to address education gaps and other factors that impede the implementation of evidence‐based practices.

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