Chronic Pain Diagnosis and Treatment in Torture Survivors

Description

The goal Aim 1 of this investigation is to characterize the diagnosis of chronic pain in torture survivors. The investigators hypothesize that using a validated pain screen to supplement the existing United Nations Istanbul Protocol can improve the ability to detect pain from 15% to 90% in this study population. Investigators will test this hypothesis by conducting a prospective, blind comparison to gold standard study. The goal of Aim 2 is to evaluate the acceptability of somatic pain treatment using qualitative interviews of torture survivors. The goal of Aim 3 is to assess the feasibility of recruiting and retaining participants in a digital pain program over six months.

Conditions

Pain, Pain, Chronic

Study Overview

Study Details

Study overview

The goal Aim 1 of this investigation is to characterize the diagnosis of chronic pain in torture survivors. The investigators hypothesize that using a validated pain screen to supplement the existing United Nations Istanbul Protocol can improve the ability to detect pain from 15% to 90% in this study population. Investigators will test this hypothesis by conducting a prospective, blind comparison to gold standard study. The goal of Aim 2 is to evaluate the acceptability of somatic pain treatment using qualitative interviews of torture survivors. The goal of Aim 3 is to assess the feasibility of recruiting and retaining participants in a digital pain program over six months.

Chronic Pain Diagnosis and Treatment in Torture Survivors

Chronic Pain Diagnosis and Treatment in Torture Survivors

Condition
Pain
Intervention / Treatment

-

Contacts and Locations

New York

Bellevue/New York University Program for Survivors of Torture, New York, New York, United States, 10016

New York

Mount Sinai Human Rights Program, New York, New York, United States, 10029

New York

Columbia University Human Rights Initiative and Asylum Clinic, New York, New York, United States, 10032

New York

Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, United States, 10065

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

For general information about clinical research, read Learn About Studies.

Eligibility Criteria

  • * ≥ 18 years old
  • * Survived torture as defined by the World Medical Association
  • * Consented to being contacted by our research team
  • * Non-tortured refugees seeking asylum through T visas (trafficking), U visas (victims of violence in the US), Violence Against Women Act (VAMA), and Special Immigrant Juveniles (SIJ)
  • * Pregnant women

Ages Eligible for Study

18 Years to

Sexes Eligible for Study

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Collaborators and Investigators

Weill Medical College of Cornell University,

Gunisha Kaur, MA, MD, PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, Weill Medical College of Cornell University

Claudia Hatef, BS, STUDY_DIRECTOR, Weill Medical College of Cornell University

Study Record Dates

2025-08-31