A Community Health Worker-Led Positive Psychology Intervention for African American Older Adults With Chronic Pain

Authors: Mary Janevic, Sheria G Robinson-Lane, Rebecca Courser, Elizabeth Brines, Afton L Hassett

A randomized pilot trial was conducted in Michigan, USA to determine the effectiveness of the Positive STEPS intervention. The Positive STEPS program is a CHW-delivered, culturally congruent chronic pain self-management intervention that entails positive psychology principles and highlights social determinants of pain and pain management. This study was conducted among older adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain in an underserved, primarily African American community. The intervention lasted seven weeks, and included weekly telephone sessions with a CHW, web-based videos teaching pain self-management skills, positive activities, and use of wearable activity trackers. The primary outcomes assessed were participation retention, engagement, and satisfaction. Results demonstrated high retention (90%), improvements in knowledge related to chronic pain self-management, increased physical functioning, and overwhelmingly positive participant feedback. These findings suggest this intervention may offer a promising strategy to enhance pain-related functioning among vulnerable older adults while enhancing the capacity of CHWs in providing this type of care.