Navigating Chronic Pain: Weaving Mental Health Data into Policymaking

Expert Series: PREMUS, WDPI, & MYOPAIN

This is truly a special one.

We sit down with Dr. Michael Sullivan - who is perhaps best known for developing the Progressive Goal Attainment Protocol (PGAP). He talks about why PGAP is needed, and the flexibility needed in delivering psychological interventions by paraprofessionals and people in the first line of intervention. Later in the episode, he talks about how 30 years of data allowed him to introduce his data into policymaking.

At PREMUS, WDPI, & Myopain 2023, he is giving a keynote lecture on 'The Psychology of Pain: Implications for Practice and Policy'. He will also be conducting a symposium on 'Introduction to the Progressive Goal Attainment Programme'.

Dr. Michael Sullivan is currently Professor of Psychology, Medicine and Neurology at McGill University. He also holds cross-appointments with the School of Physical and Occupational Therapy and is Scientific Director of the Centre for Research on Pain, Disability and Social Integration. He has lectured nationally and internationally on the social and behavioral determinants of pain-related disability.

Dr. Sullivan’s program of research addresses psychosocial risk factors for delayed recovery. Dr. Sullivan and his team have developed several instruments to assess psychosocial risk factors including the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), the Injustice Experiences Questionnaire (IEQ), and the Perceived Deficits Questionnaire (PDQ). Dr. Sullivan also developed the Progressive Goal Attainment Program (PGAP); the first community-based intervention program designed specifically to target psychosocial risk factors for pain-related disability (https://www.pgapworks.com/en/).

In this episode, we go deep into the PGAP techniques and interventions and below are links for further reading:

1. Dr. Sullivan's bio on McGill University
2. Paper on Risk-targeted behavioral activation for the management of work disability associated with co-morbid pain and depression: a feasibility study
3. The 1959 George Engel paper on psychogenic pain
4. Paper on perceived injustice : A risk factor for problematic pain outcomes
5. Perceived Injustice Questionnaire
6. Pain catastrophizing scale
7. Injustice experiences Questionnaire
8. Paper on A Psychosocial Risk-Targeted Intervention to Reduce Work Disability: Development, Evolution, and Implementation Challenges
9. Paper on Perceived Injustice and Adverse Recovery Outcomes

Time-stamps:

00:00 - 03:37 - Introduction

03:38 - 11:54 - Developing PGAP

11:55 - 20:37 - Challenges in Implementation

20:38 - 26:50 - Myth-busting Psychosomatic Pain

26:51 - 35:32 - PGAP techniques and Risk Factors

35:33 - 45:47 - Implementation of PGAP

45:48 - 51:39 - Effective Policy Making

52:20 - 56:10 - Public Policies

56:11 - 58:27 - Keynote at PREMUS, WDPI, & Myopain

Disclaimer: Guest's views and opinions are their own and do not reflect those of the PREMUS, WDPI, & MYOPAIN 2023 Conference, its organizers, or of Recoup Health. The content provided in this series is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Please seek counsel from a qualified healthcare professional for any health related decisions you need to make on behalf of yourself or a loved one.