Bio
Beth Darnall, PhD, is Clinical Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine. She is a pain psychologist and scientist. Broadly, her research investigates how to best treat and prevent chronic pain. She is a principal investigator for $14M in federal and independent research awards.
She is principal investigator for a multi-site, 4-state pragmatic clinical trial that is investigating how to best help physicians and patients successfully reduce long term opioid use in chronic pain using patient-centered methods. The project is funded by the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) and will involve 1,300 patients taking long term opioids; the goal is to reduce patient health risks without increasing pain. This research involves a 3-arm RCT comparative effectiveness trial of two evidence-based behavioral treatments, cognitive behavioral therapy for pain and chronic pain self-management, within the context of voluntary, patient-centered opioid tapering. This research builds on her team's first report on "Patient-Centered Prescription Opioid Tapering in Community Outpatients with Chronic Pain" (Darnall et al, JAMA Int Med, 2018).
She is co-principal investigator for an NIH R01 project that is studying the mechanisms of pain catastrophizing treatment, including a novel single-session compressed pain psychology class she developed. She is also investigating an Internet-based pre-surgical pain psychology treatment she developed that aims to reduce distress and optimize post-surgical recovery, including pain and opioid cessation (tested in women undergoing surgery for breast cancer at Stanford). The goal of this research is to dismantle barriers to effective psychological treatment for pain.
Her primary interest is helping people with chronic pain to optimize their mind-body connection to reduce their own symptoms, improve health and function, and enhance response to medical treatments (placebo response). She is author of "Less Pain, Fewer Pills: Avoid the Dangers of Prescription Opioids and Gain Control Over Chronic Pain" © 2014, "The Opioid-Free Pain Relief Kit" © 2016, and the forthcoming book due in 2018 from the American Psychological Association Press entitled “Psychological Treatment for Chronic Pain: The Evidence-Based Basics”. Since 2016, she has been featured and published in the San Francisco Chronicle, Scientific American Mind, WebMD, BBC World Service Radio, The Washington Post, TIME Magazine, and Nature.
As a member of the Stanford Neurosciences Institute team, she spoke at the 2018 at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on "The Psychology of Pain Relief".
www.bethdarnall.com
Twitter: @bethdarnall
Clinical Focus
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Pain
- Pain Psychology
- Psychology
- opioid reduction
- pain management
Academic Appointments
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Clinical Professor, Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine
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Clinical Professor (By courtesy), Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Honors & Awards
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2015 Presidential Commendation, American Academy of Pain Medicine (2015)
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Elected Member, Association of University Anesthesiologists (2016)
Boards, Advisory Committees, Professional Organizations
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Opioid Advisory Committee, American Academy of Pain Medicine (2017 - Present)
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Scientific Review and Guidelines Committee, American Academy of Pain Medicine (2017 - Present)
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Annual conference planning committee, 2018 Kauai Pain Conference (2017 - 2018)
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Consultant, Pain psychology treatment program development, Cedars-Sinai Health Care (2017 - 2017)
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Education Initiatives Working Group, International Association for the Study of Pain (2016 - Present)
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National Annual Conference Steering Committee, American Academy of Pain Medicine (2016 - Present)
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Committee Member and Co-Author, ACOEM Chronic Pain National Guideline (2016 - 2017)
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Medical Content Advisor, online pain education materials, Arthritis Foundation (2016 - 2016)
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Co-Chair, Pain Psychology Shared Interest Group, American Academy of Pain Medicine (2015 - Present)
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Scientific Advisory Board, Axial Healthcare (2015 - Present)
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APS Clinical Resources and Guidelines Committee, American Pain Society (2015 - 2018)
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Co-Chair, Pain Psychology Task Force, American Academy of Pain Medicine (2015 - 2017)
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Co-Chair, 2016 Stanford Free Back Pain Education Day (2015 - 2016)
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Content Advisor, American Society of Pain Educators (2015 - 2016)
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Committee on the Principles of Analgesic Use in the Treatment of Chronic Pain and Cancer Pain, American Pain Society (2014 - 2016)
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Co-Chair, Membership Task Force, American Academy of Pain Medicine (2014 - 2015)
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Co-Chair, 2014 Pain Conference, Hosted by Stanford, Western Pain Society, American Academy of Pain Medicine (2014 - 2014)
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Ethics Council, American Academy of Pain Medicine (2013 - Present)
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Section Editor, Ethics Forum, Pain Medicine (2013 - Present)
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Chair, APS Ethics Shared Interest Group, American Pain Society (2013 - 2016)
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President, Pain Society of Oregon (2012 - 2012)
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Scientific Program Committee, American Pain Society (2011 - 2014)
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Conference Committee, "OHSU Pain Day: Scientific and Clinical Updates", Oregon Health & Science University (2011 - 2012)
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APS Ethics Committee, American Pain Society (2010 - 2017)
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Chair, Board of Directors, Pain Society of Oregon Portland Chapter (2010 - 2012)
Professional Education
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PhD Training:University of Colorado at Boulder (2002) CO
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Fellowship:The Johns Hopkins University (2004) MD
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Internship:Southern Arizona VA Healthcare System (2002) AZ
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MA, University of Colorado at Boulder, Clinical Psychology (1998)
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PhD, University of Colorado at Boulder, Clinical Psychology (2002)
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Post-Doc, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Rehabilitation Psychology (2004)
Community and International Work
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Stanford Free Back Pain Education Day 2015, Stanford University
Topic
Community Outreach for people with back pain
Partnering Organization(s)
Stanford Hospitals and Clinics
Populations Served
Chronic Back Pain
Location
International
Ongoing Project
No
Opportunities for Student Involvement
No
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Stanford 2014 Free Chronic Pain Education Day, Stanford University
Topic
Living Well with Chronic Pain
Partnering Organization(s)
Western Pain Society
Populations Served
Chronic Pain
Location
Bay Area
Ongoing Project
No
Opportunities for Student Involvement
No
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Mirror therapy certification workshops for physicians, trauma, and healthcare providers in Vietnam, Can Tho, Dong Ha, and Hanoi, Vietnam
Topic
Self-delivered mirror therapy for phantom pain
Partnering Organization(s)
International Association for the Study of Pain; End the Pain Project; HealthSaaS
Populations Served
Vietnamese amputees
Location
International
Ongoing Project
No
Opportunities for Student Involvement
Yes