Evaluating Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy (EAET) for Fibromyalgia Symptoms in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to evaluate whether Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy (EAET), a psychotherapy intervention, can help reduce widespread pain and other symptoms in patients with lupus who also have fibromyalgia or chronic widespread pain. The study will assess if the therapy is safe, if patients can complete the treatment, and if it improves chronic pain and related lupus symptoms compared to a control group receiving usual medical care without psychotherapy during the study period. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the EAET treatment group or a waitlist control group. The EAET group will attend eight weekly 2-hour online group therapy sessions via Zoom, which include educational lectures, discussions, experiential exercises, and homework assignments. The therapy focuses on helping patients express emotions linked to stressful or traumatic experiences. The waitlist group will continue usual care and complete assessments, with an option to receive therapy after the wait period. Participants will complete questionnaires before and after treatment, tracking pain levels, lupus disease activity, fatigue, anxiety, depression, sleep quality, and quality of life. They will also monitor medication use and changes. The study's primary outcome measures include widespread pain index and symptom severity scores assessed before treatment and one week after treatment completion. Secondary measures cover lupus activity, fatigue, mental health, and sleep disturbances. The total treatment period lasts 8 weeks, with follow-up assessments at 9 weeks from treatment start.

Helping Lupus Patients Manage Fibromyalgia Symptoms Through Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy (EAET)